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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24825268">A long day</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ukenceto/pseuds/ukenceto'>ukenceto</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Love beyond the bones [22]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Gears of War (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Blood and Injury, Chekhov's Gun, Friendship/Love, M/M, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:48:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>40,928</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24825268</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ukenceto/pseuds/ukenceto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Fahz gets hurt during a mission, leaving everyone to make a difficult decision -  continuing on with the job or turning back. </p><p>The repercussions of that choice spawn beyond what either of them could've predicted.</p><p>A sequel to "Lost in the ozone"; set after the events of game 5.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fahz Chutani/James "JD" Fenix/Delmont "Del" Walker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Love beyond the bones [22]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1025247</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>***</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>“It’s jus’ a scratch, really.” Even though he tried to sound carefree, Fahz still winced when the torn cloth of his shirt was pulled away from the wound, blood soaking through faster than he would’ve liked.</p><p> </p><p>“No it’s not.” Del frowned, looking up at him. “Come on, armor off. This has to be bandaged up.”</p><p> </p><p>With a nod in their direction, Del seemed to signal JD and Marcus that they should take watch. Which they did without complaint, trusting Del to handle Fahz’s injury. Turning to look outside the perimeter of the small gathering of rocks they’d all hunkered down at after the last fight, until Fahz could only see parts of their backs and the dim light of their armor.</p><p> </p><p>Fight was hardly it actually, Fahz wanted to say. But he couldn’t even seem to focus enough and do that, the persistent, sharp ache in his abdomen wrapping the line of his thoughts around itself.</p><p> </p><p>There’d been a couple of wayward Pouncers, nothing more. But those were still some nasty buggers, and despite the fact that he’d taken one of them down singlehandedly, basically ripping the beast apart with his Lancer’s chainsaw when it had tried to jump over him, he hadn’t come out unscathed.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re lucky there’s no actual poison or toxin on those quills. Look at this, thing almost gutted you.” Del’s voice had taken a serious note, the concern evident in his features. The frown that Fahz saw rarely, now etched deep between his brows, his eyes glancing back up at him worryingly.</p><p> </p><p>Having pulled his chest plate off completely, Fahz moved to do the zipper of his thermal shirt, finding it took more concentration that not to pull it down without his hands shaking.</p><p> </p><p>Blood loss would do that, aye.</p><p> </p><p>“Lemme get this.” Seemingly not wanting to wait for him any further, Del pulled the shirt down over his shoulders and arms, until it pooled around Fahz’s forearms, baring his midriff completely.</p><p> </p><p>Reaching in the medkit, Del replaced the soaked compression bandage he’d placed on the wound mere minutes ago, his motions turning deft and quick. The fact that he remained quiet through it told Fahz the situation really was more serious than not.</p><p> </p><p>Usually the two of them bickered like old ladies, about anything and everything that came through the other’s mouth, there was a rebuttal at hand. It wasn’t antagonistic, not anymore.</p><p> </p><p>Hasn’t been for months now, since they got JD back. Since their life had almost taken a turn for the worst, that had gotten them to appreciate what they had a lot more. And find a couple new things in common, to say the least.</p><p> </p><p>The cold around him now palpable against his bare skin, Fahz tried to suppress a shiver, looking down at Del’s hands where they gently worked over his torn flesh. He’d sprayed a generous amount of the COG issued wound sealer spray, but even that was having some issues adhering. The blood coagulated too slow, forming unsightly lumps, deep red against the medication’s beige streaks. Perhaps it was the cold, but Fahz doubted that was all of it.</p><p> </p><p>The cut really was too deep, the quill having torn through the muscle and skin alike, not embedding in the flesh but still doing a gash longer than Fahz’s hand.</p><p> </p><p>A tremor ran through Del’s hands where he kept the sides of the wound pressed together, patiently waiting for the medication to do its miracle. He looked up at Fahz again, seemingly about to say something before thinking better of it.</p><p> </p><p>“Come on now, no need to tiptoe ‘round me, is there?” Fahz said, but his voice sounded weaker than he’d thought it will. Clearing his throat, he reached to Del’s face, hand resting over his cheek for a moment. He felt the stubble scratch lightly against his palm, warmth seeping into his fingers. “What’s the verdict doc?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not good. You’ll need more than  a wrap and a pat on the back this time around.” Despite leaning a bit into his touch, Del still sounded tense. “I don’t even think you should be walking around like this, let alone fighting. We have to go back.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oi, none of that now. We made it this far, didn’t we? No need to waste more time and let them bastards beat us to it again.” Fahz was referring to the distress signal they’d been following in the past few days. It was one of the several which had activated simultaneously, far into the mountains.</p><p> </p><p>They were sent out by the geological teams dispatched to scan the area and look for Osmium deposits. After Baird’s return and his revelation about the importance of the material, he’d been sending teams out nearly back to back, anyone who could be run through the crash course and any gears they could afford to take away from the patrols protecting New Ephyra.</p><p> </p><p>But they hadn’t been in much luck so far. During the Pendulum Wars, the COG had mined Osmium extensively, using it as a part of the Lancer and armor manufacturing process, because of the unique toughness it added to any material made alloy with it.</p><p> </p><p>Hence most of any accessible deposits had been run dry long ago.</p><p> </p><p>Yet some of the squads had been lucky. And reported back some promising test results from the soil samples in several places deep into the range beyond Mount Kadar.</p><p> </p><p>“And if we are too late, we’ll find nothing. And be outnumbered, again.” Del hadn’t stressed the mention of the fact that Fahz would be practically useless in a possible fight any further, but the meaning was clear nonetheless. He’d blown it, basically.</p><p> </p><p>“How about we ask the others, too. See what Marcus has to say about it.” A low blow, but Fahz was feeling upset, and had he mentioned, in quite a lot of pain. The road back would be just as painful as the one forth, but also rather humiliating. He didn’t want to be the reason for the delayed response to the distress call, lest it means they lose that squad and their research too. Just like they had the other ones.</p><p> </p><p>The Swarm was targeting their teams somehow, they knew that. But didn’t know how the enemy was always a step ahead, always there and gone by the time they reach the location.</p><p> </p><p>Perhaps strength was in the numbers after all, but Fahz was starting to believe there was more to it than that.</p><p> </p><p>Even if Marcus had proved to trust their judgment on missions so far, he still had tons more experience. So Fahz wanted to hear his thoughts on the matter, although if he was to guess, JD wouldn’t be too happy at the notion of them continuing on despite Fahz’s injury either.</p><p> </p><p>“Fine. But I’m telling you what he’ll say. And that is that you need an actual doctor, and soon.” Del tightened the bandage around his waist, rolling enough gauze to secure it. Fahz could see there was already blood seeping through, even if just a few spots. Stark against the white cloth, it told them both the obvious.</p><p> </p><p>Del was right. He wouldn’t last long like this, not out there too.</p><p> </p><p>Walking through the steep, rocky mountain range was difficult, even now when the rest of the land was well past thawing, growing greener by the day. The altitude here made sure even the sun, whenever it peeked through the clouds, couldn’t bring much warmth.</p><p> </p><p>Though it still burned like a sunnovabitch, if Fahz had to comment on that.</p><p> </p><p>Reaching into one of the pouches on his utility belt, he took out a little tube of sunscreen, smearing a generous amount over his face, shades off for the moment. There was some comfort in the ritual, though he knew a little reddened skin was the least of his worries at the moment.</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t believe you, honestly.” Del looked at him with a hint of amusement, making a small smile play on Fahz’s lips. Not that bad either, then.</p><p> </p><p>“What? You know I burn easily. ‘Specially in this weird weather.” Whatever else he might’ve said on the matter never passed his lips, as Del had leaned forward, placing a soft kiss over them. Fahz sighed, leaning into him, hand resting on his neck. It was a light kiss, but one he reveled in nonetheless.</p><p> </p><p>It was rare for either of them to do this during a mission, trying to keep things serious and lessen any possible distractions. But Fahz certainly wouldn’t complain now.</p><p> </p><p>Only when he shivered up a bit, reminded of the cold by a stray gush of wind, did they part, even if with some reluctance. Del seemed worried again, and he reached to help Fahz pull up his thermals on again, pulling the zipper all the way up.</p><p> </p><p>“How do you feel? Think you can stand up?” He asked while Fahz fumbled with putting his chest plate back on.</p><p> </p><p>“Just fine, really. Nothin’ to worry about, I can handle a bit of pain.” The words had hardly left his mouth as he moved to stand, and nearly fell back down again, if it wasn’t for Del’s arm supporting his back quickly. His vision swam nearly completely dark before receding into spots and the nearly picturesque scenery before them.</p><p> </p><p>The wind hovered over the short grass, making ripples swim over it like the water of a lake around a tossed stone, few flowers the name of which Fahz didn’t know dotted over here and there in a burst of color against the otherwise similarly toned rocks. It was nice, if he was to admit it, but he felt that it was the last thing he had to focus on right now.</p><p> </p><p>Yet it proved difficult, with the pain radiating through him, legs feeling like jello.</p><p> </p><p>“Sure you are. Ok, sit back down. We’re getting something to eat, and if you nearly faint again after, we’ll see what to do later. I’ll call in Marcus and JD.” Without taking the time to hear his protests, Del insistently helped him sit down on the rock he’d been perched on before, then marched on to call the others.</p><p> </p><p>Fahz couldn’t see them, guessing they’d moved to further survey the area ahead, but it all seemed mostly quiet for now.</p><p> </p><p>It was a normal quiet, aka not at all really. He could hear the buzzing of some insects about, the chipper of birds he had never heard before yet guessed were native to the highlands.</p><p> </p><p>In the academy they’d teach them that this was nature’s quiet, and it meant good. It meant there was nothing to disturb the peace of the critters of the land, and hence there were no enemies around, not too close at least.</p><p> </p><p>If all fell really quiet, then they’d have to worry.</p><p> </p><p>Still, Fahz rested a hand on the Lancer that was propped next to him, trying to remain focused. Now that Del had mentioned it, he wouldn’t mind a snack, maybe some water too.</p><p> </p><p>He found himself surprised to say it, but he actually preferred the desert to the mountains. There was something open and upfront about the heat and the sand that he missed right now. It made him aware of when he was too overheated, when he had to rest and drink water. The mountains? They could go on in the clear air,  walking as if going to a damn picnic, but when Marcus would call down the time to settle and dig into their rations, Fahz would realize how utterly exhausted he felt.</p><p> </p><p>Deceptive, that’s what it was. Or maybe he was just not cut out for it, never having more than seen a mountain from a distance up until he hit twenty five. It had always been there, far away, but he regarded it as no more than another monolith, literally a part of the scenery. He couldn’t deny the grandeur of it, nature just making this massive amount of… well, rock, stand up. But he wasn’t a fan, you know?</p><p> </p><p>The sound of gravel under boots tore him from his thoughts, and he saw JD coming back, followed closely by Del and Marcus, who seemed to be lost in conversation, talking to one another quietly enough for sound to not carry through.</p><p> </p><p>JD seemed concerned, his expressive eyes now full of worry. He wasted no time sitting down next to Fahz, giving him a once-over.</p><p> </p><p>“I hear it’s more than just a scrape this time around.” He said, frowning at the blood still visible on the dark blue material of Fahz’s shirt. He didn’t make a move to check it, trusting in Del’s work but he did rest a hand on Fahz’s thigh, thumb running in a comforting circle over it. “How bad exactly is it though?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not good, ‘s what I’m told.” Fahz sighed but tried to give JD his usual look of indignation. “Still in one piece though, walking and talkin’. So come on, drop it.”</p><p> </p><p>Reaching into one of his pockets again, Fahz procured an energy bar, quickly ripping the paper packaging off and taking a big bite. He was still hungry, despite the ache.</p><p> </p><p>“Jury’s still out on the walking part though.” Del chimed in, stopping to rest with his hands on his hips. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Marcus actually agrees with you.”</p><p> </p><p>“About going to the camp?” Fahz said around a mouthful of the energy bar, chewing intensely. He looked over at Marcus, who was wearing a slight frown, though that was likely because the sun had shown again, shining into his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Going back at this point would take us longer than reaching the camp. And they should have more medical supplies.” He didn’t say an actual medic, confirming everyone’s worry that they might still not find anyone out there.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll take that.” Fahz shrugged his shoulders, devouring the last bit of his food. He didn’t find himself particularly worried, even after having seen the state of his injury. He was either going to make it, or not and… there was nary a point in thinking too hard about it right now.  </p><p> </p><p>“Alright. But we’ll take breaks, every hour. And you’ll tell us if something’s wrong, ok?” JD turned to look at him, giving his thigh a squeeze. “Promise?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course.” Fahz couldn’t really resist his eyes, not when JD gave him that look. The look, to be honest. He’d seen it directed at others before and honestly couldn’t understand how anyone didn’t cave in right there. Worked on him every time, for better or worse. “But I don’t want you slowing down for me. We were going to reach the camp tonight, so let’s stick to that schedule.”</p><p> </p><p>Getting up again, he grit his teeth, trying not to show any of the agony that ran through him at the motion. Taking a few deep breaths, he felt the pain ebb away just slightly.</p><p> </p><p>It was going to do, had to. He’d push through it.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright…” JD didn’t seem convinced, but they’d had a clash of wits before and both knew it was futile to try and change the other’s mind when they were set onto something. “Take this, eh?”</p><p> </p><p>JD handed him his water canteen, and a couple of pills still wrapped up in paper.</p><p> </p><p>“Will take the edge off, and fend away any infection, for now. But it’s only temporary.”</p><p> </p><p>Fahz took the offered painkillers, knowing he needed them. No need to be that self-deprecating now was there. Taking a large mouthful of water, he washed the bitter taste away, preparing himself for the task ahead.</p><p>Returning the canteen, he picked up his Lancer, wincing slightly at the motion.</p><p> </p><p>Thankfully, neither of the others saw him, so he could quickly get his expression neutral again.</p><p> </p><p>“Right then, where to now?” They hadn’t gone off the trail because of the Pouncers, but with everything looking basically the same, Fahz had some trouble picking where their course had been to.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, back past these rocks, then the quarry to the left.” JD had taken out a map, looking over it in concentration. Del peeked over his shoulder, then to the area ahead again.</p><p> </p><p>“And the woods after.”</p><p> </p><p>Fahz could just about make the greener area up ahead, guessing that’s the woods Del had meant.</p><p> </p><p>“If you can call them that.” Marcus huffed, adjusting his grip on the Lancer, then taking point. “Keep your eyes open though. Could be more Swarm up ahead.”</p><p> </p><p>Hardly a warning they didn’t already heed to, but Fahz knew it was better to be safe than sorry. He focused on following after Marcus, and looking to the sides from time to time, rather than only at his feet. His legs still felt somewhat unsteady, but there was a certain sense of relief he guessed was the painkillers taking effect already.</p><p> </p><p>JD fell in step with him for a while, but after seeing he could go on without a hitch, fell behind some, until Del, who was the last in their merry little line, reached him.</p><p> </p><p>Fahz guessed they were talking, but still had enough space between to not catch any of it. He did however make a note of his surroundings, continuing to hear the stray notes from a bird nearby. Not the worst day he’d had, by any means, but it wasn’t gonna be an easy one either.</p><p> </p><p>The sun had shown through the clouds completely, heating up his skin despite the chill in the air. He could still see clearly enough however, glad to have his shaded lenses. Considering how the mountains had always seemed shrouded in clouds, he found it ridiculous that they’d all tanned in the past few days they’d been prowling around for.</p><p> </p><p>Just didn’t feel quite right.</p><p> </p><p>He was definitely not a mountain person, aye.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>By the time he saw it, he’d lost track of the time they had been walking for. More than two hours for sure, since they’d stopped to rest up twice; but less than three. How much exactly however, he had no clue.</p><p> </p><p>But he’d been focused on walking, one foot in front of the other, the scenery around barely different save for the occasional tree; Marcus had been right about that. The forest was hardly a forest at all, more of a vast area spawning a few trees here and there at a time, seemingly solid from a distance and anything but, up close.</p><p> </p><p>He stopped in his tracks, the movement abrupt enough to warn the others even without him having to give them a sign. Marcus, who was up ahead froze completely, foot not even setting fully on the ground; behind him, Fahz could no longer make out the soft sound of JD and Del’s footsteps on the canopy of old leaves and branches.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, he noticed the quiet.</p><p> </p><p>Even the wind had stopped howling in the trees, and the heavy, heady scent of the earth around him was thick, almost cloying at the back of his throat.</p><p> </p><p>Nothing wrong with it, just the smell of leaves and moss and moist earth, the sap of pines, typically woody scent. But it was so palpable, Fahz thought he might almost gag.</p><p> </p><p>Still, he didn’t move a muscle, his eyes trained on the sight before him, the stray burst of color which had taken his attention initially.</p><p> </p><p>It didn’t move, so they weren’t noticed just yet.</p><p> </p><p>Casually, ever so carefully, he stepped forward, the sound of his feet completely lost in the soft ground beneath. He rested to a halt next to Marcus, who spoke with a voice so low, Fahz could barely make out the words even this close.</p><p> </p><p>“What is it?”</p><p> </p><p>So he hadn’t seen it yet.</p><p> </p><p>“Eleven ‘o clock, next to that big wide tree. A little low, see it?” Fahz replied, trying to follow Marcus’ example and keep his voice barely above a whisper.</p><p> </p><p>For a long moment, nothing happened.</p><p> </p><p>Then he saw Marcus nod once, his frown deepening.</p><p> </p><p>“What is that?” He asked, still focused on the object Fahz had pointed out.</p><p> </p><p>“Dunno. Don’t see anything unusual around either.” He replied, having surveyed the area in case the odd item was bait, something meant to distract them while the enemy had set an ambush.</p><p> </p><p>But the forest remained on edge, despite his words. Del and JD were keeping radio silence, trusting him and Marcus to assess whatever was in front of them, and act accordingly.</p><p> </p><p>“Hmmm.” Marcus didn’t say anything else, but he seemed almost uncertain to continue.</p><p> </p><p>In a bout of inspiration, Fahz carefully took off his sniper rifle, looking through the scope. Once, twice, a quick sweep of the area ahead. Nothing.</p><p> </p><p>Then, he focused on the object of their attention.</p><p> </p><p>“You know. Tha’ looks like a flower.” He finally said, taking the rifle off his shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“Let me see.” Marcus took the weapon, mimicking Fahz’s previous stance. For a while, he remained like that, then returned the weapon with a shrug of his shoulders. “It really does. Let’s go check it out.”</p><p> </p><p>“Should we really do that?” Fahz questioned, but he saw Marcus make a sign with his hand, signaling JD and Del it was clear to follow. Best keep the radios off, in case someone was listening in on the frequencies around.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s hardly out of our way, so we can go see it.” Marcus said after a moment, having begun walking again. Fahz almost didn’t expect him to answer at all, but if he was to be honest with himself, Marcus had been treating him differently for a long while now.</p><p> </p><p>He actually seemed to pause and think whenever Fahz ran his mouth, on occasion providing a useful explanation to something or simply just listening to what he had to say. It was rare, for anyone to do that. Fahz had been used to others ignoring his opinion for so long, he didn’t quite know what to do faced with this now, especially having it come from someone such as Marcus.</p><p> </p><p>He admired him, that was a fact. For the stories he’d heard about him in the Locust war, but also having seen him on the battlefield, and seen the side of him society didn’t get to – the man, the father worried and heartbroken over his son’s fate.</p><p> </p><p>Fahz would never forget that it was together that they brought JD back, gave Baird a chance to work his tech magic on him and return him from the doorstep of death. But in those moments, and even before that – such as when JD had been in a coma, he and Marcus had gotten to talk, share something like equals, despite the decades of difference between them.</p><p> </p><p>So Fahz felt a pang of something, not quite pride, stirring in his chest whenever Marcus seemed to go out of his way to treat him like that. He appreciated it, and hoped in a way it would have him learn to do better. For himself, for others. Experience on the battlefield could mean the difference between life and death, so he was ready to swell like a sponge with every bit of knowledge Marcus pointed his way.</p><p> </p><p>Walking after him now, senses still on high alert, Fahz considered the flower-like thing he’d seen through the scope. Evidently, it was a novelty even to Marcus, so here’s the lesson in the story. They could learn something useful from it. Or learn something as a whole.</p><p> </p><p>Botany was far from Fahz’s strong side, he vaguely remembered some things from school related to it, but in his mind plants generally occupied two groups, such as: those you can eat, and those you can’t. It was useful to know the difference, and so far that amount of knowledge had served him just fine.</p><p> </p><p>But, you live and learn, ain’t it so.</p><p> </p><p>Not long after, they reached the area he’d seen earlier. A rather old looking, tall tree threw shade over the ground, and amidst the branches of a few bushes scattered around, a giant red flower stood, bright like a stoplight.</p><p> </p><p>The color was almost bleeding into the surrounding air, that’s how potent and stark against the earthy tones of the surroundings it seemed.</p><p> </p><p>Fahz heard a shuffle behind him, and then Del and JD stopped by his side, looking at the flower.</p><p> </p><p>“So… That’s that.” JD commented noncommittally.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, it looks weird. What is it?” Del turned to look at Marcus, who was keeping his distance from the flower, but was regarding it with what appeared to be a hint of curiosity under his usual frown.</p><p> </p><p>“Never seen one quite like it before.” Shrugging, Marcus carefully used his Lancer to prod at the meaty plant, the barrel barely grazing over the petals.</p><p> </p><p>Nothing happened.</p><p> </p><p>“Mmm was that supposed to do something?” Fahz asked, shifting his weight so that he rested more on his non-injured side. Maybe they were rounding up to their third hour, because he could feel a sense of exhaustion deep into his muscles, a slight sheen of sweat forming over his neck and brow.</p><p> </p><p>“Shows it’s not a flytrap.” Marcus grunted out, before placing the Lancer on his back. Taking a knee, he got his knife out of the sheath, and proceeded to cut a solid chunk of the flower away.</p><p> </p><p>The flesh of it was thicker than any plant Fahz had seen, and oozing dark juice, not unlike the blood he’d seen seeping from his wound earlier. It made him want to throw up again, so he looked away, trying to distract himself.</p><p> </p><p>“Why did you do that?” JD commented, stepping a bit further from the plant. “It reeks.”</p><p> </p><p>“Could turn out to be something useful.” Marcus said, wrapping he piece of the plant in a baggie he procured from one of his pockets, before placing it in securely. “Baird did say to keep an eye out for anything unusual while we’re here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Somehow, I doubt that’s what he meant.” Del said, also keeping a distance from the plant, which Fahz could agree, now absolutely reeked. It wasn’t the worst smell he’d had to deal with, the Swarm beat that on any fronts, but there was still something deeply unsettling about it, along with the pungency of it. “What if it’s poisonous?”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t touch it bare-handed.” Marcus said simply, before cleaning up his knife in the low grass beneath the bush.</p><p> </p><p>“’M sorry, but is it gonna reek like that the whole way now?” Fahz commented, looking at the pocket the sample of the plant had disappeared in.</p><p> </p><p>“I wrapped it up, didn’t I?” Marcus sounded somewhat exasperated, so Fahz decided best not push his luck.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, now that the botany class is over, can we please go?” JD said, glancing at his compass to check their direction again.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, let’s do that.” Taking point again, Marcus continued as if nothing’s happened.</p><p> </p><p>As they progressed further away from the odd plant, Fahz could hear the sounds returning to the forest. A good sign.</p><p> </p><p>“How’re you holding up?” He hadn’t noticed when JD had come next to him, which wasn’t good. Even if he was able to walk very quietly when he wanted to, Fahz realized he’d been too distracted still. Reaching for his canteen because he realized how thirsty he suddenly felt, he drank for a while before answering.</p><p> </p><p>“Been better. Can hold out though, don’t sweat it.” He said, willing himself to just keep going despite the discomfort. It wasn’t going to go away on its own, he knew that. But there was nothing either of them could do about it out here, only once they reached the researchers’ camp, and got to rest and recuperate.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not, but you are.” JD said with a frown, hand reaching to Fahz’s forehead. “You’re burning up.”</p><p> </p><p>“Mm hardly, just a little hot. It is hot in here, innit?” The expression on JD’s face told him enough. “…Not, then?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not really. If anything it’s getting colder already.” Looking up at the sun which was already going down towards the horizon, JD grabbed Fahz’s arm lightly. “Let’s rest up a bit, alright?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m really—“ But despite his protests, Fahz watched as JD gave Del a sign and they picked the next tree for a rest point.</p><p> </p><p>Marcus, having surely sensed the commotion behind, returned from his position up ahead after doing a slow semi-circle around the area, checking for enemies.</p><p> </p><p>“Clear.” He said as he returned, giving Fahz a pointed look. “You’re getting ashy. Should’ve stopped earlier.”</p><p> </p><p>“Mm yeah, felt like I could go on a bit longer.” Fahz said with a tone he hoped would pass for being carefree. But he definitely felt like he needed to sit down, which he did, using the tree’s trunk for support.</p><p> </p><p>Coming to kneel next to him, Marcus pressed a hand over his forehead, keeping it there for a long moment.</p><p> </p><p>“Drink some water, now.” He instructed with a stern voice, but when Fahz reached to tip his canteen, he found it empty.</p><p> </p><p>“Huh, didn’t realize.” That part wasn’t good either. They were taught to conserve water, especially when one didn’t know where would the next source of it be.</p><p> </p><p>“Here, have mine.” JD gave him his canteen again, looking over Marcus’ shoulder with worry.</p><p> </p><p>Fahz had seen that show before, alright. Everyone’s been looking at him like that now, and it got on his nerves.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m fine, alright? Just a lil’ hot.” Still, he found himself parched, barely able to stop drinking.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not fine.” Marcus spoke again, reaching for the torn area in his shirt. Pulling the cloth aside, he tsk-ed, looking back up at Fahz with a serious expression. “We have to change your bandages.”</p><p> </p><p>Doing the whole armor off, shirt off exercise took Fahz longer than last time, but by the end of it he knew there was really no way around it. The bandage was soaked with blood, and he could hear Del’s sharp intake of breath when he saw it. Blood had streaked further down too, and Fahz couldn’t really guess how much of it he’d lost on the way here so far.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, that— that must’ve hurt a ton. Why didn’t you say something?” JD kneeled next to him, gripping his shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“Didn’t feel like too much, at the time. I could still walk, right?” Fahz said, looking away from him. He loved the light blue of JD’s eyes, a touch more azure than ice. But he didn’t want to worry him, or to be a burden. And now he’d about gone and done both, and if there was one thing he hated most, that was showing weakness.</p><p> </p><p>Even to those he loved. They deserved better, more. The best he could give.</p><p> </p><p>“Just because you can walk, doesn’t mean it’s alright.” Marcus piped in, cutting away the soaked cloth and taking the antiseptic wipe Del had prepared. “Trust me, I’ve learned that the hard way.”</p><p> </p><p>Glancing at JD for a moment, Marcus proceeded to clean Fahz’s wound, prodding just slightly at the edges. They barely held together, despite the wound sealant, blood seeping through a few spots.</p><p> </p><p>“Best leave things like this for now, bleeding on the inside of your body would be worse than it going out.” He said, reaching for new bandages. “But that doesn’t mean it’s ok either. We have to make haste for that camp, and see what supplies they have. You might need a transfusion too.”</p><p> </p><p>“Should we carry him? We could make a stretcher.” JD asked, looking around. There were some branches, bits of fallen over trees that could work.</p><p> </p><p>“Nah mate, I can walk. Just tighten this thing up, will you?” Fahz insisted, knowing they’d just waste more time if they had to make the stretcher and carry him. Plus it would leave them all a lot more vulnerable to attack. “I made it this far, didn’t I? What’s a couple of hours more.”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe too much.” Marcus remarked, but tightened the wrapping around Fahz’s waist still. His eyes told him he knew Fahz’s reasoning, but he didn’t say anything else.</p><p> </p><p>“I promise to say if I’m ‘bout to tumble down, alright?” Turning to look at JD again, Fahz sighed. “Wouldn’t say no to another pill or two tho.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, but tell us if you start to bleed too much again. Numbing the pain means you might also not realize how bad is it.” Del added, giving Fahz his canteen in turn as JD handed him the painkillers again.</p><p> </p><p>“Anythin’ you say luv.” Smirking slightly, Fahz returned the water to him, now considerably less than before. At this rate, he definitely hoped they would reach the camp soon, since he was running through everyone’s supply.</p><p> </p><p>“Dad, how much further do you think we have?” JD turned to Marcus, taking out the map again.</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s see…” Marcus checked the map, though it was rather rudimentary work – Baird had provided them a copy of the path the geologist squad had sent him, including info of the area they’d scouted as they had progressed further up the mountain side. At least it meant there wouldn’t be any challenges they couldn’t cross up ahead. “Maybe two hours isn’t far off the mark. If we don’t run into any more trouble.”</p><p> </p><p>Marcus didn’t sound convinced however, and Fahz could see the worry in the tensed line of his shoulders, the haste with which he returned the map to JD. The way he surveyed their surroundings, keeping note of the sun’s position in the sky.</p><p> </p><p>“There’s a lot of open ground up ahead. Hills, rocks. Vantage points.” JD noted, but they were the ones at disadvantage there. The path marked by the research team followed the dried-up bed of a river, twisting and turning between the high banks on each side, perfect spots for snipers. A single nest could take them out in no time.</p><p> </p><p>“Then we keep to the shadows. And have our eyes and ears open.” Marcus stood up, readying his Lancer. With a little help from JD and Del (or a lot, alright, Fahz admitted) he stood up as well, feeling JD do a last check up on the straps of his armor. Once he was satisfied that everything was secured as it should be, he patted Fahz on the back to tell him he’s a-go.</p><p> </p><p>“Sure you’re gonna be ok?” He asked again, and Fahz rolled his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Who are you, me mum? I said I can take it.” His tone came up sharper than what he’d gone for, but he could see JD didn’t take offence still. Fahz just didn’t want to see that look of worry on his face anymore, reminding him he was the one putting their whole OP at risk. Of course he hadn’t wanted to get hurt, but he had, regardless. And now… well, he meant his words. He was going to make it to the campsite on his own two feet, everything else be damned.</p><p> </p><p>Falling in line after Marcus, he trod forward, ignoring the sharp ache in his gut which stirred with every step. It was only physical, and he’d always been good at dealing with his pain. Showing it had meant weakness.</p><p> </p><p>So he didn’t, he’d pushed on through training and then ahead in battle, never falling out of line, never falling behind others. Prosthetic leg or not, he wasn’t going to let that deter him, mark him or make him an object of pity. He had been better at the physical aspect of training than almost everyone in his class, and that hadn’t come for free.</p><p> </p><p>Training, training and then some more training, even when his muscles had burned and his body had demanded rest. Pushing himself beyond that, having the fortitude for it was something Fahz took pride in. And now the time for all that effort to pay back had truly come.</p><p> </p><p>One foot in front of the other. He had that.</p><p> </p><p>Eye out on his surroundings. Check.</p><p> </p><p>Not falling behind. Check.</p><p> </p><p>He followed in Marcus’ footsteps exactly, hid in the shadows the way he did, avoided the open areas, looked out for signs of activity where there should’ve been none.</p><p> </p><p>And yeah, perhaps he really did have a fever because he’d lost the concept of time entirely, only noting that the sun had gone down when it became harder to see, nobody having turned on their flashlights yet. Best not broadcast their location with a beacon visible from a mile away, right?</p><p> </p><p>So when Marcus stopped, raising his arm up, fist closed to convey his order down the line, Fahz almost missed it. Yeah, that was the disadvantage of wearing shades at night…</p><p> </p><p>Still, he stopped and gave the sign as well, knowing that JD and Del were more likely to catch on quicker than he did.</p><p> </p><p>Marcus motioned for them all to gather up, and when they did, took cover behind a large boulder that seemed to have rolled down from the river bank ages ago. It was rounded by erosion, and still held some warmth from the day’s sun, something the rest of the land had quickly lost with the fall of darkness.</p><p> </p><p>“Camp should be right up ahead. Don’t see any lights though, or patrols.” He said, and motioned for Fahz to take off his rifle. It had a night vision optic, so with a few twists and turns of the scope, Fahz set it up.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, wanna have a go?” Fahz didn’t really wish to admit it, but he wasn’t feeling quite up to the task of scouting the area properly. Despite having his pride suffer a blow, he preferred to give Marcus the chance, rather than possibly put the rest of them at unnecessary risk.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I’ll be back in a bit. Keep low, alright?” Taking the rifle, Marcus watched them all not in agreement before disappearing into the shadows. One moment he was there, then he wasn’t. If Fahz hadn’t seen him do that before, he’d think the fever was finally getting up to him. But no, Marcus was just that good.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, how’s the bandage?” JD asked, even if they couldn’t shine a light on that yet, literally. He placed a hand on Fahz's forearm, the warmth of his touch comforting up to the point Fahz really didn't want to have to check the wound, knowing what he'd find. But he had to.</p><p> </p><p>Reaching through the gash in his shirt, he winced when his hand came back wet with blood.</p><p> </p><p>“Uhh, not very good. But we’re almost here, right?” The possibility of an ambush was left unsaid. He realized how bad their position was, taking up a possible fight at night. The Swarm could see in the dark. They couldn’t.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, let’s just hear what Marcus says when he returns.” Del’s hand remained steady on his Lancer, and Fahz could see the concentration practically radiate from his body. He was alert and ready to react to any danger, despite the long day they’d spent walking, and in part fighting.</p><p> </p><p>Fahz was proud of him too, honestly. He loved seeing the moments in which both Del and JD proved how capable warriors they were – because that is what they were. Not just Gears, not just soldiers. Not anymore.</p><p> </p><p>The Swarm had turned all of them into hunters, into something a lot more primal and encompassing. They’d adapted to survive, and it required honing out their senses, training their bodies brutally enough to be able to handle the reality of battle which adhered to no rules. Kill or be killed, in its rawest form.</p><p> </p><p>And Fahz knew the essence of fighting began long before his finger was on the trigger, and the enemy in his sights. If he waited for that to happen, he’d be dead before he gets out a single shot.</p><p> </p><p>Being a warrior meant staying alert no matter what, sensing the enemy before the enemy sensed you. Then doing everything you could to put the bastard down before it gets you, or your buddies.</p><p> </p><p>They’d all changed in the past months, but Fahz saw the change in Del the most. He became more ruthless, more efficient than ever before. They hadn’t lost a single Gear whenever Del had been a part of their squad, and honestly Fahz knew the only reason he hadn’t made Captain yet was because he wanted to stay with him and JD.</p><p> </p><p>Jinn had undoubtedly offered him the promotion, but Del had his priorities in turn.</p><p> </p><p>He and JD stayed together now. Always. No splitting up in squads. Fahz didn’t mind getting to command a squad on his own now and again, but he didn’t comment on the fact. He hadn’t known Del well before… Before JD’s accident, before they got together. But the changes were unfolding before his very eyes. And he and JD had talked enough for him to know that the two had been next to inseparable before, but had finally crossed that line now, after their temporary fallout. Taught them all a lot, that one. Personally, Fahz liked the man he’d come through to be on the other side of that. Certainly was a happier one as well, since he now had two amazing guys in love with him.</p><p> </p><p>Nothin’ for a bloke to complain about, right?</p><p> </p><p>So he trusted them now, to handle whatever came up ahead even with him out of the game. But it didn’t mean it didn’t bother him, to be so helpless on the sideline. It’s what they were now, a trio if you will. Looking out for each other, having each other’s backs.</p><p> </p><p>And speaking of…</p><p> </p><p>JD was quicker to notice it. The mangled, uncoordinated creature hopping towards them silently. His knife was deep into the thing’s skull before it could as much as make an noise, though that was surprising considering the Juvvies were usually screeching up to high heavens.</p><p> </p><p>Fahz braced himself, knowing where was one of those wretched creatures, more would follow.</p><p> </p><p>And indeed, soon a couple others appeared into their sights, though unusually quiet once again. Del and JD did a quick work of them, not firing a single round; best keep their position a secret for as long as possible.</p><p> </p><p>But something just didn’t seem right with the picture.</p><p> </p><p>“Guys… Is it just me or them buggers looked like they were drunk?” Fahz said after a long moment, when they were sitting still, trying to see if there were any more enemies lurking in the darkness. “Seemed to walk all wobbly ‘n stuff… More so than usual that is.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re right.” Del agreed, looking at JD. “What do you make of that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Dunno. Can they get drunk on something?” JD said, kicking one of the bodies with the tip of his boot. It reeked, but that was nothing new.</p><p> </p><p>“Do they even eat? Way I see it they transform long before they get to do any actual… hunting or stuff.” Del seemed disgusted at the idea, but thoughtful nonetheless.</p><p> </p><p>“Guess we still have to see about that, don’t we.” Marcus’ voice startled them all. He really moved like a shadow, and Fahz could swear literally nothing gave off his presence until he’d spoken up.</p><p> </p><p>“God, Marcus, you realize that’s how you get shot, right?” Del said despite the fact he still had the safety on. Marcus just shrugged at his words, then motioned back the way he’d come from with his head.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s interesting out there. Saw a bunch of bodies, Swarm only. Seems like they’ve been there for a couple days at least. Gotten rank.”</p><p> </p><p>“And the camp?” JD asked, lifting an eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s still there. I think there’s actually people in, but they’ve hunkered down, keeping quiet. I saw several tripwire sensors, so definitely something going on.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ambush?” Del said in turn, giving one last look at the three Juvvie bodies near them. It didn’t seem right. The Swarm always hit in packs, wave after wave. They didn’t just sent a few of them and be done with it.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t know. But we best be careful. Didn’t see any human remains but we know what they do with those anyways.”</p><p> </p><p>Fahz tried very hard not to think of the pods with semi-rotting bodies he’d seen. Busting hives had to be his least favorite Swarm hunting activity, even if it had proved to have a good success rate, preventative at least. Too much uncanny valley for him, from willingly being snatched to having to make his way through the fleshy hellscape they transformed in. Underground, in the dark? Not the job for him, that was simply it.</p><p> </p><p>So after a couple of times doing it, he’d decided he’ll rather volunteer fighting on the surface than down there. Leave that job to people with a bit tougher gut, literally. The stench of those places, that was what almost did him in on its own.</p><p> </p><p>But no one could say there’s something he won’t try at least once. He was no coward, but he knew how do deal his cards right. His strengths laid elsewhere, and were still valuable to keeping that menace at bay.</p><p> </p><p>As much as they all had been able to, for now. It didn’t look promising, the whole picture, less they managed to get Baird’s plan to fruition. And even that would take a while, time they had to bid carefully.</p><p> </p><p>“Ok, so we try to contact them?” JD suggested, but Marcus quickly shook his head.</p><p> </p><p>“Their comm tower is down. Couldn’t see it, means it was literally destroyed.”</p><p> </p><p>“Or they took it down on purpose.” Del suggested, making everyone turn towards him.</p><p> </p><p>“Why would they do that?” Fahz asked, taking another breath with some difficulty. The fatigue was getting to him, and so was the stench of the Juvvies. Honestly he couldn’t wait for them to decide and move already.</p><p> </p><p>“Because they weren’t the only ones broadcasting that distress signal. Once the other sides went down, perhaps they got smart and decided to try and get under the radar.”</p><p> </p><p>“Makes sense actually.” Marcus hummed in agreement, looking at Del with something that seemed like approval.</p><p> </p><p>“So what do we do now?” Sighing, Fahz rested his hand on his abdomen, trying to put the warmth of the blood seeping through away from his mind. “Would about do with a cot and some clean bandages maybe.”</p><p> </p><p>“No point in trying to sneak through, we don’t know the kind of traps they might have put. So let’s knock on the front door, so to speak.” Marcus said, but Fahz wasn’t blind to the urgency in his tone. It wouldn’t do them any favors to stay out here longer than strictly necessary.</p><p> </p><p>“And hope we don’t get shot up from two sides, great plan.” JD added sarcastically, his tone suddenly reminiscent of Baird, enough to get Fahz to chuckle slightly.</p><p> </p><p>“Unless you got a better one, James.” Marcus didn’t seem amused however.</p><p> </p><p>They all knew it was a bold move, but sometimes one had to put all the cards down.</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s just hope whatever it is going on here, isn’t as bad as the other sites.” Del said, before adjusting his grip on his Lancer. “Fahz, can you stand?”</p><p> </p><p>“With a little help maybe.”  His vision swimming, Fahz took the arm JD put under his, leaning nearly his entire weight on him. Being upright didn’t help the matter however, so with a last deep breath and a muttered ‘Oh bugger’, Fahz watched as the world around him disappeared.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>***</p><p> </p><hr/><p>The storm started suddenly. Or at least, as sudden as several hours of increasingly lower temperatures combined with freezing wind could be.</p><p> </p><p>JD hadn’t paid much attention to the weather; after all, for what was worth they were all hidden away from the will of the elements.</p><p> </p><p>Hunkered down in one of the temporary buildings made by the geologist team on the site, he’d heard the occasional wails and creaks of the construction shifting under the increasing winds. But he knew the shelter was built to last – Baird’s design, created to withstand a windflare, when on sufficient foundation at least. He hoped the team around hadn’t skipped on that part.</p><p> </p><p>Still, the reason for his lapse of concentration when it came to their environment was evident. He’d been entirely focused on the small room which passed for infirmary around here; stacked with crates of supplies, until there was barely any space left for a gurney.</p><p> </p><p>And the lone patient currently on it.</p><p> </p><p>Luckily, the local medic was still on-site, alive and well enough to give Fahz the medical attention he’d needed. His wound had been more severe than they’d initially estimated, and his overall condition made much worse by the blood loss.</p><p> </p><p>In fact, by the medic’s words, if they hadn’t reached him when they did, Fahz would’ve likely been dead from that alone. Or suffered serious complications.</p><p> </p><p>The team had enough blood banks and medical supplies even for such a dire situation however. Something that’s been made mandatory since the Swarm’s attacks had become more vicious. All teams on extended missions now adopted a modified protocol dating all the way back to the Locust war. It strived to minimalize casualties by providing enough treatment for heavily injured Gears, regardless of the nature of the sustained trauma.</p><p> </p><p>JD didn’t think he’d been more grateful for that precaution until now. </p><p> </p><p>Fahz was still out of it, hadn’t woken once since they’d gotten him to safety. But according to the doctor, that was to be expected – he was still sedated, and recovering from the exhaustion and strain his body had been put through.</p><p> </p><p>They had been lucky in so many ways.</p><p> </p><p>Had the outpost been raided by the Swarm like the other ones, JD knew they wouldn’t have had the skills needed to help Fahz and keep him alive.</p><p> </p><p>This was the first time he’d come so close to… losing him, since they’d become friends more than half an year ago now. And the fear this situation had brought forth, still seized JD’s mind, made him unable to shake the cold feeling in his gut, the way his chest felt taut and tangled like a rope twisted up in knots.</p><p> </p><p>Looking up from where he’d been staring at his hands, the fingers interlaced tightly enough to make his knuckles white, he finally took in the mood change in the room.</p><p> </p><p>Marcus and Del had been lost in conversation with the few geologists and gears still up, sat around a table covered with diagrams and dishes. The room had served as a mess hall, before the Swarm’s attack. Then everyone had begun using it as a hub of operations, preferring to stay in one place whenever possible.</p><p> </p><p>Plus this was apparently the largest of the temporary structures, with additional segments that held all other supplies – ammunition, food, clothing, tools. And much like the layout of the settlements, it was placed in the center.</p><p> </p><p>Easier to defend, once they’d set up a perimeter.</p><p> </p><p>From what he’d gathered earlier, overhearing the hurried talk once they’d been let in through the layers of makeshift defenses, everyone was still bracing for another attack. And in equal measures, waiting for help.</p><p> </p><p>What had been different from the other research locations however, was the reason people were still alive to tell their tale now.</p><p> </p><p>JD listened to the bits and pieces of information that were making their way through the conversation, realizing that for some reason the Swarm’s attack had been crippled – something had weakened and disoriented the enemy, causing them to be easy prey and allowing nearly everyone to make it out of the fight unscathed.</p><p> </p><p>“They’d wanted this to be a ferocious attack, mark my word.” A wiry man in his mid-forties, with salt and pepper dark hair reminding him of Marcus, was leading the conversation. He was the main engineer, someone who knew how to handle high-risk situations, since he’d been the one calling the shots and constructing the place’s plan of defense too. “But it’s like they were off or somethin’, you know? Uncoordinated, slow. Made picking them out easy, since we had plenty of bullets to spare.”</p><p> </p><p>Hendrik, JD suddenly remembered, that was his name.</p><p> </p><p>“But there weren’t many bodies out there.” Marcus said, his tone not exactly questioning.</p><p> </p><p>“Course, we threw them in the valley. Can’t quite stand being in this place if they started to rot any further now, could we?” Hendrik grinned, the crow’s feet around his eyes deepening. The cigarette dangling from the corner of his lips was swiftly moved to the other side of his mouth, and his expression turned serious. The move was swift like the turn of a card between a gambler’s fingers. “Took us a while to note the difference, since we barely got out, but wait till you hear the rest.”</p><p> </p><p>“And what’s that?” This time it was Del who asked, setting his elbows on the table. JD noted the tension in his body, the way his jaw shifted as if he was going to say something but held back. He was nervous, even if he hid it well – JD knew him well enough to know the signs.</p><p> </p><p>And couldn’t blame him really. They were both worried about Fahz, having damn near freaked out when he’d passed out in their arms earlier. But Del was still trying to keep his head in the game, gathering intel, making notes of the situation, continuing their mission.</p><p> </p><p>Something JD could only congratulate him for. He himself was fighting his mind’s panicked reaction still, the nightmares that had come to the forefront of his mind. The same guilt which he’d felt after Settlement Two, after the Hammer incident. The knowledge he’d failed to protect the people around him. The man he loved, the one who’d been there for him when no one else had.</p><p> </p><p>“Here’s a clue: red and purple flowers.” Hendrik leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms like that answered everything they could ever ask of him.</p><p> </p><p>“Not following, I think.” JD finally decided to join in the conversation, clearing his throat. That earned him a glance, but after a shrug of his shoulders Hendrik started talking again.</p><p> </p><p>“It was in the memo. One of them at least. Send it to Baird like a week ago.” Stubbing out his cigarette, he sighed and continued. “Part of the local flora, no one here knew what they were. But once they opened up, the whole place reeked something sickly-sweet. We barely tolerated it, pretty sure some people had hallucinations too.”</p><p> </p><p>That made Marcus and Del share a glance, and JD frowned, thinking of the plant they had encountered earlier in the day. He’d almost forgotten about it in all the hassle, actually wouldn’t have even remembered if it wasn’t for Hendrik’s words.</p><p> </p><p>“Actually, wait a sec. Here, this will help.” Getting up, Hendrik reached into what JD thought was one of the kitchen’s refrigerators, but upon seeing the contents, decided it was likely used for storing non-edible items instead. “Don’t open it though.”</p><p> </p><p>Placing the large clear bag on the table’s surface, Hendrik sat back down. It looked like it held meat, though JD knew better.</p><p> </p><p>“We’ve seen one like this. But it didn’t have the purple stuff.” Del, who was closer, commented after observing the baggie for a while.</p><p> </p><p>“The stamens.” Marcus said in lieu of explanation. “So what’s the matter with it.”</p><p> </p><p>“There were dozens of those around the camp area. And when we gathered the Swarm’s bodies, there weren’t anymore.” Hendrik scratched at the stubble on his chin before looking at Marcus. “Look, I’m no botanist. But I’m pretty sure whatever was in those plants was what got the Swarm all loopy-juiced.”</p><p> </p><p>“How? Did they eat the stuff?” Del asked, frowning.</p><p> </p><p>“We think so, yeah. Never seen ‘em do that before, but it’s the only explanation we could come up with.” Hendrik sighed again, the dark circles under his eyes making JD wonder how long he’d been awake for. “Figured someone higher up the chain of command can deal with this, since we saved a sample and all that. We were hoping to get some reinforcements, but instead I see three more guns and a patient burning through my supplies.”</p><p> </p><p>Nearly jumping up from his seat, JD was next to the table in less time it took to blink, hands fisting in the fabric of Hendrik’s thick overalls.</p><p> </p><p>“Now you—“ Before he could continue, he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his shoulders, trying to pull him back.</p><p> </p><p>“JD, calm down—“ Del’s voice reached him through the haze of red that had fallen over his eyes, and JD did his best to follow, though what he really wanted right now was to punch the ungrateful bastard before him.</p><p> </p><p>“We risked our lives coming here, Fahz did and then some. And that’s how he’s treating us?” He said in turn, angrily looking over his shoulder, to Del and then to Marcus, who had also gotten up.</p><p> </p><p>“James, leave him. Everyone’s been under pressure but the enemy’s out there, not in this room.” Marcus’ tone was level, but he also glared at Hendrik, then the rest of the people who were about to defend their leader.</p><p> </p><p>“I had friends on the other teams. They’re gone now, for all we know.” Hendrik spat out, shaking JD’s grip off. “But we have to stay here because the Osmium traces in all the soil samples we took indicate a large, untouched deposit somewhere in this area.”</p><p> </p><p>“Resources are spread thin all around. But unless you’d like us to walk back to the outpost we left days ago, get on our bird and call for reinforcements from there, I suggest you don’t underestimate what three more guns can do for you team.” While Marcus was a man of brevity, he certainly could get a room to turn quiet once he decided to speak up.</p><p> </p><p>JD took a deep breath, looking at everyone else, finally seeing them for what they were. People, tired and afraid. Even if between them there were Gears, he saw they were even younger than him, probably barely out of the Academy.</p><p> </p><p>“Our top priority would be getting the comms back up, and telling Baird what you’ve found.” Del said next, his hold on JD relaxing; but one of his arms remained on his waist, a grounding touch. “Both about the Osmium, and the effect of the plant on the Swarm. We can use every advantage we can find.”</p><p> </p><p>“And we can use every extra gun come our way.” Hendrik said, his tone placating. “We’ll take care of your friend, don’t worry. But activating the communication tower again could broadcast our position to the Swarm, and maybe this time there won’t be any happy coincidences to deter them.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’re still wondering how did that happen, how do they follow the signal. It seems to be how they reached the other teams.” Marcus said, raising an eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>“Echolocation? Or they intercepted the source with some device. We don’t know for sure, but the risk is quite real.” Hendrik rested his hands on the table, taking a moment to shuffle some papers until he found what he needed, separating the page from the rest and motioning for them to look at it. “This is the last message we had sent, the nightly report. Several hours later, the failed ambush, and our distress call about it. Along with the ping from the other teams. Coincidence?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmmm probably not.” Marcus’ voice held that note of exasperation which told JD he didn’t like the odds of something. So communications were definitely a risk. But without them, they were all as good as a shipwreck amidst the ocean, about to run out of time and supplies. “Yet something tells me you’re not down for an evac anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not until we locate the exact place and size of the potential Osmium deposit. That was our task, and we will damn well complete it, since we got this close. If we were to leave now, it’s unlikely for another expedition to make it this far.” Hendrik shook his head, quickly surveying his people. Nobody seemed against his statement, and JD realized that they were all dedicated to the reason why they were here in the first place. Ready to risk their lives if it meant furthering the development of a technology which would protect people from the Swarm, once and for all. Or at least finally give them the fighting chance they needed to tip the scales of this new, horrifying war. One which had already taken so much, cost so many lives.</p><p> </p><p>“What would it take for you to finish that work?” Nodding, Marcus asked, seemingly in agreement with the reasoning.</p><p> </p><p>“Time. It’s not something that can be completed in a day. And the person responsible for part of the equipment got hurt in the fight, so he’ll be out of commission for a while. Others can take his place, but they’re not as experienced which means… you got it, this will take at least twice as longer than what we planned for.”</p><p> </p><p>Just as Hendrik stopped talking, a long, almost stretched out screech filled the room, making the hairs on the back of JD’s neck rise. Everyone froze, tension imploding into the quiet room.</p><p> </p><p>The sound repeated, but it didn’t seem as organic as the wails of the Swarm, and JD’s hand relaxed a bit where he’d grabbed the grip of his pistol.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s the snow.” One man commented, and JD followed his gaze to one corner of the dome-shaped room’s ceiling. “It can get really heavy when it piles up, or falls from the hillside.</p><p> </p><p>“There was sun and… grass on the way here, what’s up with all the snow?” Del said, looking confused. They were used to rapid weather changes, but that usually only brought the dangers known from windflares, which disappeared as soon as the stormwall passed.</p><p> </p><p>“Blizzard, razorhail… This corner of the world has kept some of the weather I remember from my youth.” Hendrik answered, before going to one of the generators in the room, adjusting something on it. And with good reasoning; JD could feel a chill in the room which had nothing to do with the panic the sudden noise had brought on. “Of course, there are windflares now too… But combine those with the cold, and you have rapid storms that easily bring over six feet of snow in an hour. Not a weather you want to meet face to face.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, think I can imagine why.” Del shivered a bit, inching closer to JD who found himself cherishing the subconscious meaning behind the simple action. They’d warmed up to one another again in the past months, and he’d found himself relishing in every bit of forgiveness Del knowingly or not send this way. The trust he thought he might never win again, the bond between them his own actions had nearly severed.</p><p> </p><p>“Would it let up soon?” Marcus turned to Hendrik, who now seemed satisfied with the generator’s setting and had turned to look at them again.</p><p> </p><p>“No way to know for sure. We had one which lasted a week solid, one that was gone in an hour… you get the picture. We’re all in here anyways, so waiting’s what we can do. And keeping up watch.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll join in on that then. Anywhere the boys can rest up in the meantime?” Marcus asked with a nod in their direction, and JD found himself ready for a rebuttal nearly by a force of habit.</p><p> </p><p>But he didn’t say anything, instead taking a moment to think and realize that his father was right. They needed the rest, and would be able to join in on the watch system that was in place once they got some sleep.</p><p> </p><p>“There’s couple of free bunks in the other room, Simmons will show them.” Hendrik motioned to the man who had spoken earlier, who got up without a word, waiting for them to follow.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><hr/><p><br/><br/>JD sighed, turning his head from side to side to help dispel some of the tension in his neck. His muscles were stiff, and he felt a slight ache, the buildup of a long day atop an old residual injury. Nothing a hot bath wouldn’t fix usually, but out here they had to conserve water, and only had the option of a shower with water pressure as weak as a drizzle.</p><p> </p><p>After a few minutes under it, he’d decided he actually felt colder staying there so he’d finished up his wash and gotten out, quick to dress up again.</p><p> </p><p>Del had already been in bed, sitting cross-legged, just the ghost of a grin dancing on his lips.</p><p> </p><p>“Told you to not expect miracles from it.” He’d jabbed half-heartedly, making JD shake his head and sit before him, leaning his back into his chest, seeking the warmth.</p><p> </p><p>Del wrapped his arms around him in an instant, bringing their bodies closer, his palms resting on JD’s abdomen.</p><p> </p><p>“Man can hope, you know.” JD huffed, before closing his eyes briefly, trying to relax. The room was small but still somewhat chilly, despite the central heating. And the fatigue was surely taking its toll on him, making him drowsy and cold. “Still wish we could’ve checked in on Fahz again though.”</p><p> </p><p>“Doc said he’ll be keeping an eye on him, and to not expect him to be up before dawn. We gotta trust the man knows better.” Del’s tone was soft, but JD could hear the edge of worry underneath. He was trying to comfort both of them, in away. Surprisingly, or not so, Del and Fahz had gotten really close, to the point JD could see they were truly in love with one another. Realizing he best say something too, he turned Del’s words in his head a couple of times while thinking back on what the medic had told them.</p><p> </p><p>“At least they’ve given him the good stuff, to manage the pain and get the inflammation down. Would make him less grumpy when he wakes up.” Turning to look at Del, JD placed a quick kiss at the corner of his lips, the most he could reach from his current position. It was better for them to try and focus on the optimistic variant about Fahz’s recovery; neither wanted to consider the ramifications of anything else.</p><p> </p><p>“Aye, wait ‘till he hears he’ll have to miss in on all the action. No keeping score on this mission.” Del referred to what had basically become an inside joke between them, trying to outdo each other’s Swarm kill count.</p><p> </p><p>JD often joked that he didn’t know how either of them could still count while in the middle of an ambush, but found the rematches worth the hassle still. Even if it meant them arguing how many drones a Snatcher counts for.</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll tell him he gets a bonus round next time.” JD huffed, knowing making light of the situation was all they could do to keep their worry at bay in the moment.</p><p> </p><p>“Fair game.” Shuffling behind him, Del yawned and pulled on JD’s arm slightly. “How about we call it a night. Marcus will probably call us for the next shift.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fine with me. Let me take it though, yeah? You can do the morning turn.” They both knew between the two, Del had always been the one up with the first crack of dawn. And JD didn’t mind the little hours of the night, when everyone else usually found it testing to stay up and alert. He’d had a penchant for that time, never quite feeling sleepy even when he wasn’t on duty.</p><p> </p><p>“Sure thing. Meet at lunch?” He could feel Del’s grin against his skin, quickly followed by the kiss he placed on his neck, then the one on his cheek and finally a proper ‘goodnight’ as their lips met fully.  </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>***</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Even the cold could not freeze him so, like that empty, soulless gaze boring into the starry skies. Lost in a place there was no turning back from.</p><p> </p><p>The ice and snow all around reminded him of that night, the landscape bringing no peace even with its frosted quiet. He couldn’t shake the image from his mind, buried like icicles within his brain. The pain it brought still raw, even though the nightmare was already over.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Now and then a tree would crack and groan from the extremely low temperature, making his heart jump in his chest, the sound so akin to gunfire, to a bone breaking, an enemy lurking.</p><p> </p><p>But he remained still, back leaned onto the smooth surface of the alcove he’d found formed between a couple of the temporary buildings. It offered him a good vantage point overseeing the camp, while the shadows kept him from prying eyes.</p><p> </p><p>The twin moons were just peaking over the clouds, crescent.</p><p> </p><p>Their light illuminating the scenery, almost alien in its wake – the storm had brought on so much snow that most trees were barely-there round lumps amidst the white cover, everything glittering like a sea of diamond sand. </p><p> </p><p>A muted sound made him turn quickly, and he spotted the figure approaching from the darkness.</p><p> </p><p>“James.” He felt momentary disjoint; this moment seeming like something he’d lived through already. But there was no mistake to who the figure was, and he took a deep breath, trying to clear his head from the last tendrils of the dream that still haunted him so palpably.</p><p> </p><p>“Can’t sleep?” James’ voice was soft, low enough to not carry far, but Marcus heard him fine nonetheless.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah…” For a long moment, neither of them said anything. James had always been good at sensing Marcus’ moods, even if in the past little good had come out of it. But they’d grown closer, fostered a better understanding of one another in the past year. Even though that change had been brought on the expense of all the suffering James had witnessed and endured since the Swarm appeared, there was no denying the fact that it was the fallout which made them overcome each other’s hang ups.</p><p> </p><p>Having that connection with his son again couldn’t but make Marcus feel… happy, in some simple, nearly forgotten way. Reminding him of the way they were when James had still been a child, running around the estate’s lands, full of smiles and brimming love for everything and everyone.</p><p> </p><p>Those times had been the closest Marcus had come to thinking life was surely worth living; even after all the pain and anguish he’d been through. He cherished the memories he’d gathered, a treasure greater than anything material one could amass in a lifetime.</p><p> </p><p>Looking at James now, he felt the same joy, the same love. Even if the world around them was on the verge of crumbling again, seeing James all grown up, alive and well was all that mattered. Even if he feared for him each time they went in battle, bullets flying above their heads, he was grateful for every moment they still had.</p><p> </p><p>Marcus didn’t know if he would live to see the world free again, but he’d readily die trying to make it so.</p><p> </p><p>“You could go back to Del. It’s almost dawn, I can continue the watch.” Marcus had spent years not getting much quality sleep at night, so he didn’t mind doing something useful with that time since he was awake anyways.</p><p> </p><p>“Tempting offer, though he’ll probably be up soon as well.” James sighed, but Marcus could see the ghost of a smile on his face. He and Del had always had an interesting morning schedule, at least back in Marcus’ house. Sometimes he’d see them up early, other times it was just Del – apparently he couldn’t always rouse James at dawn too, and even the army life hadn’t been able to change that fact.</p><p> </p><p>“And so would the others, maybe. Don’t know what’s their schedule like around here.” Looking around the camp briefly, Marcus wondered how the place would look when the sunrise came. Bustling with activity, or terse in wait for another attack. “Perhaps the weather will loosen up during the day.”</p><p> </p><p>“Could only hope so. Can’t get much work done otherwise.” James shifted in place, his boots making a better path around the alcove, compressing the snow. The side of it still reached over his knees, and Marcus could also see the traces of the snow that he’d been waddling through to come this far.</p><p> </p><p>“How about getting some breakfast, and coffee? I’ll come by at six.” Marcus said, trying to seal the deal. He felt restless, and patrolling was just what he needed at the moment.</p><p> </p><p>“Yep, that sounds good. But I’ll go check up on Fahz first.” Frowning deep enough to be visible even under his hat, JD looked back at the main building. “I really hope he’ll be alright. If Baird was here…”</p><p> </p><p>“You know there’s not much he could’ve done for him without Osmium. There’s always a catch, even with Damon’s uh, more genius solutions.” Marcus had been around Baird long enough to learn that there was always a certain balance in the things he did. So even when they were between a rock and a hard place, he still couldn’t pull things out of thin air – materials were needed to make anything useful. Also, improvised explosives often wielded unstable results, though that was a whole other matter.</p><p> </p><p>This had been just the next cornerstone in a long line of such situations.</p><p> </p><p>“I still can’t believe it’s exactly, and only Osmium he could use for the nanites. And that even it didn’t last us much.” JD looked down at his right arm, now virtually indistinguishable than the left, if one were to look under all the layers of clothing and armor. Apart from some scarring, nothing suggested how bad the damage had been like.</p><p> </p><p>Much like the rest of the faint lines crossing his body, though Marcus would always remember the wounds they had been.</p><p> </p><p>“An engine which lasts forever is a fool’s dream. Same with everything else.” Marcus didn’t add that he’d had enough of seeing grand devices reduced to pile of rust and broken cogs to last him for well over a lifetime. “And Baird just needs enough Osmium to make it through this war. If we can survive long enough to destroy the Swarm, aided by his nanites, their purpose would’ve been fulfilled.”  </p><p> </p><p>“Then all the more reason to dig in and fortify this place now. Can’t let them take it from us, if Hendrik’s right and there really is a big deposit around here.” Sighing, James glanced back at him, but then his lips quirked in a half-smile.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Marcus said after a while, raising his brows.</p><p> </p><p>“Just realized. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear a hat.” Chuckling, JD shook his head. “In this cold too. Come on. The durag’s hardly doing much to keep you warm, is it?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s… I’ll be fine.” Marcus’s tone was solemn enough to give James an obvious pause. It was the same sense of déjà vu again, of a moment already lived though. Ignoring the thought which had appeared from a place he didn’t wish to dwell more on tonight, he just shrugged his shoulders. “I think you should go see Fahz. It’s all you can do for now.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><hr/><p> </p><p>JD kept turning their conversation in his head, trying to find what it was that had suddenly changed his father’s mood.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t the first time he’d done that, it had in fact almost become a reflex – even when as a child, he couldn’t quite explain it, he’d known certain things upset his dad almost at random. And that it was best to avoid mentioning them in the future.</p><p> </p><p>Many years later, Del had named the reason, the fitting description being something he’d found in a book. PTSD. Even when it was subtle, and when the signs came from someone as stoic as Marcus, there was no denying it.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, JD hadn’t understood it fully even after that. But then he himself had gone through things that still left him shaking with terror at night, and knew it was never something he wanted to remind Marcus of, if he could avoid it.</p><p> </p><p>But as he walked through the corridor, having left his drenched boots in front of the heater to dry up, he couldn’t pinpoint tonight’s cause. They were all on edge for months, and that surely factored in as well.</p><p> </p><p>Ever since they’d found out that Baird’s nanotechnology had a rather limited active lifespan, they’d been scrambling to salvage all resources required; but the facts were that without sufficient amount of Osmium, which was the main component of the nanites, they wore out and eventually deactivated.</p><p> </p><p>The program of implementing them into all Gears had come to an abrupt stop, though they’d proved enormously efficient in keeping down their losses. For a brief while, it had given everyone hope. Hope that they had the upper hand, the ability to survive almost anything the Swarm threw at them.</p><p> </p><p>Even the First Minister had been a lot more amendable to work alongside Baird and respect his research, if it meant her Gears were coming back in one piece.</p><p> </p><p>Osmium also powered the more advanced cores of the DB-J prototypes, and that meant their production was also halted. Still, those units had proved tough and so durable, that not more than one had been lost since their official combat deployment.</p><p> </p><p>With all that, New Ephyra was still standing.</p><p> </p><p>But unless they found a new Osmium source, the city wouldn’t last for long.</p><p> </p><p>And neither Baird’s other… plan, could come to fruition.</p><p> </p><p>Only a few people knew of it, and it was best they kept it that way. The final ace in their sleeve, if they could get the ink and paper to print it, so to speak.</p><p> </p><p>Stopping in front of the door marked with a big red cross, JD took a deep breath. Faint light could be seen shining around the frame. Probably meant the doctor was still there, monitoring Fahz’s condition. Even though the base had to conserve energy at night, since the sun batteries were largely prioritized for heating, knowing that Fahz was getting all possible care was comforting.</p><p> </p><p>Knocking lightly before pushing down the door handle, JD peeked through, almost apologetic. He didn’t want to intrude, but it was a fact that since he’d woken up, Fahz had been all he could think of.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s alright, you can come inside.” The medic motioned at him, before resuming the work on Fahz’s IV that JD had seemingly interrupted. “I just changed his bandages. He’s awake, but still drowsy.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, hey there.” JD stepped towards the bed, smiling when he noticed Fahz’s gaze focusing on him. “I promise, not gonna be making you get up for drills today.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ha, bloody ha. Ever told you you’re hilarious sometimes?” Despite the teasing, Fahz’ words came out with a soft drawl, making JD’s smile stretch even further. It was good to know he was feeling well enough to try at their usual banter. “I have fi’teen stitches. Doesn’t feel like I’ll ever do a drill in me life again.”</p><p> </p><p>“Tsk, that is bad…” JD glanced at the medic again, but still reached over and grabbed Fahz’s hand in his. “So, all you gotta do is lay down and heal then. Eat all the pudding that gets your way, not even think of push-ups. Not gonna be an easy one.”</p><p> </p><p>“Just come and give me a kiss already, aye?” Fahz pulled at his arm lightly, his voice now closer to the boisterous level JD knew.</p><p> </p><p>“Could I ever say no to that?” Leaning over, JD kissed him slowly, enjoying the warmth of Fahz’s lips against his. They weren’t alone so he kept it chaste, but felt neither of them were too willing to part.</p><p> </p><p>If there was space on the gurney, JD would’ve laid down next to him, content to just stay close as long as Fahz wanted him to. But be as it may, the station wasn’t meant to have a full-on hospital, and the bed already barely fit one person, two being completely out of the question.</p><p> </p><p>“Del’s still sleeping, but I’m sure he’ll come right by when he’s up.” JD said after a while, noticing that Fahz seemed to struggle to stay awake.</p><p> </p><p>“What time is it even?” Frowning, Fahz glanced around, surely looking for a window, or something to tell him an exact hour. But JD knew there was nothing, the room being one of the inner sections of the dome structure.</p><p> </p><p>“Should be around five in the morning, last time I checked.” He said, recalling the clock he’d noticed in the mess hall no more than fifteen minutes ago.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh bloody hell, ‘s no wonder I still feel like a truck ran over me. Need my beauty sleep, so don’t mind if I… tune out soon, eh?” Their hands still clasped together, JD could only nod. Fahz looked a bit better than yesterday, but only some. He still seemed ashy, and there were dark circles under his eyes. Even though he must’ve slept over twelve hours since they’d arrived, unconsciousness and surgical anesthetic included, it was no surprise he was still exhausted after the strain his body had been put through.</p><p> </p><p>“Rest up, alright? You’re gonna be safe here.” Feeling he had to say it, a way to reassure them both maybe. JD didn’t want to think about the previous day, about what a different decision could’ve left them like.</p><p> </p><p>“You… too. No rushing off… into danger wit’out me, will you?” Fahz’s eyes were already closed, but he was smirking still, reminding JD of the promise the three of them had made to each other.</p><p> </p><p>To fight side by side, and to be careful was the gist of it. But above all, it had been a single, simple other thing that Fahz had one day asked of them, one calm sunny day that had caught them sharing downtime in their dorm. Just resting and joking about everything, trying to pick a movie to watch and not quite settling on anything.</p><p> </p><p>JD had been eating an apple, lazing up on the couch with an arm draped over Del’s shoulders, who was getting increasingly frustrated as he looked through the disks they had, reading out the titles and trying to get them to all agree on one.</p><p> </p><p>Fahz had been making popcorn in the small kitchenette, occasionally supplying a retort in favor of one movie or another. JD even remembered the few muted “oof’s” that signalized the popcorn was ready and Fahz had too eagerly grabbed a bunch while hot, before waltzing in to them and sitting down, their sides pressed together.</p><p> </p><p>JD had forgotten the movie, leaning over to steal a kiss instead.</p><p> </p><p>“We don’t get many days like this one anymore. But do you think we will, at one point, in the future?” He’d asked, tone more serious than the mood had warranted for. But it had been true, the ache on the tip of his tongue, the longing for a life less filled with horrors and gunpowder smoke.</p><p> </p><p>“I promise we’ll grow old together. The three of us.” Fahz had smiled and looked over to Del, before grabbing JD’s chin. “Your turn to say it now?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s a promise then.” JD had meant it, with every fiber of his being.</p><p> </p><p>“Promise. Signed and sealed.” Del had said next, and it was in this moment that life had seemed right there for them to grasp at, and not let go.</p><p> </p><p>JD tried to remind himself of this, no matter what happened since. They were no longer the fuel of the machine that could secure the future. They allowed themselves to be that future, if only they could get to it.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Dawn came, but instead of sunlight, it brought on another blizzard.</p><p> </p><p>Everyone had gathered in the mess hall again, halfway through breakfast, some having a quiet conversation with their heads close.</p><p> </p><p>Del had gone to the medical room but found Fahz sound asleep, his chest moving with each steady breath. Placing a kiss on his temple and adjusting the blanket that had slipped some, Del stayed for a while before leaving, trying to find JD and ask him if Fahz had been awake so far.</p><p> </p><p>He worried, but also felt uneasy around all the medical equipment. It was something he’d struggled with since his childhood, the smell of hospitals always bringing on a nausea that had nothing to do with any medication in itself.</p><p> </p><p>That discomfort peaked around others who were injured, but he’d promised himself to check on Fahz again soon. Hoping to see him awake next time, an insistent feeling of guilt settling at the back of his mind. If he’d tried harder levels at the medic training they could choose to go through, perhaps Fahz wouldn’t have been in this situation now. Bound to a room and having nearly died in it.</p><p> </p><p>He’d found JD and Marcus in the mess hall, hunched over a few topographic maps of the area, a woman from the team Del didn’t know yet pointing out at something.</p><p> </p><p>“No no, there’s no way to scale that rock face without getting the drill’s foundation set first. I don’t think we need to take the risk, since drilling will show us what’s across still, only somewhat slower.”</p><p> </p><p>“And once we have that in place, eventually we could check it out. If the slope is even enough for a Condor to land on, that’s going to be a very important outpost.” Marcus’s gruff voice carried through, and Del realized they were already working out the logistics of getting the mining equipment and workforce in if the area proved to really have an Osmium lode.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you’re up.” JD looked up and smiled in greeting as Del nodded at the direction of the table, noting how Marcus and the geologist were still focused on their work.</p><p> </p><p>“Just about, gonna grab something to eat. What’s on the menu?” Not that he could expect much since this was a mission far from the city, but Del was still hungry.</p><p> </p><p>“Potatoes, mushroom stew, some weird jelly desert that’s nicer than it looks. We can check it out, kitchen’s still open.” JD said just as Del had reached to grab his arm, intent to pull him aside. But instead they walked together, and Del took an empty platter before lining up to get his breakfast.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you get to check on Fahz this morning?” He asked, glancing at JD who nodded with a small smile. Relief washed over Del, and he willed some of the tension that had gripped him to lessen.</p><p> </p><p>“He was awake for a bit, we had a chat. Later doc told me he’s close to pushing through the first 24h without issues, and that’s quite important. So, step by step. Did you go too?” JD looked at him, hands in his pockets, bumping their shoulders lightly. He knew a part of Del’s near… phobia of hospitals, but not the whole extent, and yet seemed careful to bring the topic up still.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, just now. But he was out like a light, and doc wasn’t there to tell me if he’s been up at all.” Del picked his now full plate and they returned to the main hall, picking a free spot on one of the tables.</p><p> </p><p>“We can go to him together later. Not like we’re doing anything else today, with how the weather’s been acting.” Just as JD had spoken, a long wail sounded somewhere outside, followed by a crash loud enough to rattle the table.</p><p> </p><p>Everyone froze for a moment, waiting.</p><p> </p><p>When nothing else followed, they picked up their weapons just as Hendrik appeared from one of the corridors in a haste.</p><p> </p><p>“Fenix, Walker, with me. Freeman, you too. The rest stay put and wait for our signal.” For a second both Marcus and JD stepped forward, but Hendrik shook his head at Marcus.</p><p> </p><p>The meaning was clear. At least one person with experience was gonna stay with the team, if they didn’t make it back.</p><p> </p><p>Following after JD, Del braced himself for what waited ahead.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>***</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>A wall of freezing air slams at him the second they’re out of the cabin’s door. There’s also snowflakes carried by the wind, but the low temperature makes them feel like sandpaper against JD’s face.</p><p> </p><p>Not letting the shock of the weather disrupt his concentration, he remains alert; checking the area ahead, from left to right and back, reminding himself to keep breathing steadily. To his side, Del mirrors his position a step behind, as do Hendrik and Freeman.</p><p> </p><p>The snow is blinding even with the overcast skies, a massive landscape of white with barely any shapes standing out to remind there’d been trees underneath. Giant shards of ice stick at strange angles through it, almost like obelisks, but JD knows they’d formed due to the unusually ferocious storm last night.</p><p> </p><p>Fanning out, each man scouts ahead, checking behind the behemoth formations, quickly covering the area surrounding the camp.</p><p> </p><p>There’s no trace of an enemy. No sound aside of their footsteps crunching over the snow, and the howling of the wind.</p><p> </p><p>JD struggles to walk forward, pushing at the nearly waist-level snow that had piled on some spots, no trace left of the paths he’d made earlier in the morning during his patrol.</p><p> </p><p>Looking through the scope of his lancer, he meticulously scans the uneven planes around the camp, checking any suspicious shadows.</p><p> </p><p>“All clear on my end.” Hendrik’s voice startles him, the wind having stolen the sound of his approach. “Freeman’s signing it’s the same for him.”</p><p> </p><p>Looking to his left, JD spots Del in the distance, noticing him trying to get their attention by pointing at something. However, he’s standing out in the open, making JD guess it wasn’t an enemy that he’d seen.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, let’s go check what Del has found.” He saw Hendrik nod and fall behind, following in the path JD was making.</p><p> </p><p>A few minutes later, they had made a quarter of a circle around the campsite, and JD could definitely see what was the issue.</p><p> </p><p>“Holy shit. Where did that even come from?” Stopping next to Del, he couldn’t look away from the enormous tree trunk that now lay sideways over what had apparently been a section of the temporary buildings.</p><p> </p><p>“My guess? The slope above us.” Del pointed behind him, through all JD could see was the nearly vertical bare cliff face, the cradle of which had made the perfect secluded spot for the camp. It was higher even than the citadel in New Ephyra, and shaped in a way that made it unlikely for any avalanche to make it through its peak.</p><p> </p><p>But apparently, it hadn’t been enough to stop a tree with the circumference of a train car from rolling over.</p><p> </p><p>“Was there anyone in that building?” JD’s next question was delivered with a more somber tone. Even with Baird’s fortified construction methods, the place looked like a smashed can beneath the monstrous tree.</p><p> </p><p>“No, this just held some of our weather tracking equipment. No one should’ve been in it today.” Hendrik huffed out, then tapped on the nearest section of the tree with the butt of his rifle. “Frozen solid. Makes me wonder how bad the storm was up there, if it got it all the way down to us.”</p><p> </p><p>“I really wouldn’t want to find out.” Del said, mirroring Hendrik’s move. A piece of the tree’s bark cracked suddenly, before falling down in the snow.</p><p> </p><p>“For anything to cause such a rapid freezing… I’d say no one would be able to survive it and tell the tale.” Frowning, Hendrik looked up at the slope, the peak of it casting a long, thin shadow in the low clouds. “And that’s where we were planning to begin drilling.”</p><p> </p><p>“Doesn’t sound promising.” JD couldn’t imagine scaling the dark, obsidian-like cliff, let alone envision how heavy equipment would even get there. But he’d seen a Settlement being built from what seemed like nothing in the span of days, so he had to believe this wouldn’t be too much of a challenge for Baird and his engineers. Even in such a remote area.</p><p> </p><p>“We can still set up a drill lower, but it would be less precise and take longer to reach the layer we’re interested in. Still, let’s see how the storm front progresses first.” Hendrik gave a curt nod at Freeman, who then walked back towards the camp. “He’ll tell the others we’re not under immediate attack.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, but if another tree like that gets tossed over…” JD mused, realizing the rest of the camp wasn’t that far out its range.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not like we can relocate, especially not if the temperature continues to drop. It’s a risk we’ll have to take.” Seemingly having said all he wanted, Hendrik turned and began walking to the camp as well, his breath hanging like mist around his head.</p><p> </p><p>“Sounds merry, doesn’t it.” Del broke the momentary silence, before sharing a look with JD. They both knew some things were out of their hands, and now and then all one could do was be patient.</p><p> </p><p>“Tell me about. We should go back as well, there’s no point in freezing our asses out here.” JD watched as Del kneeled down for a moment, picking up the frozen piece of bark and turning it around in his hands for a bit.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll bring this to Marcus. Maybe he’ll have something to say about it.” Putting the bark under his arm, he began walking, JD following after him. “And I hear you. Could about do with sitting next to the heater. Who’d think fifteen minutes out here could feel like an hour.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah… No cold quite like this back home, huh.” Turning around one last time, JD surveyed the area, squinting his eyes against the increasing wind. The scenery remained unchanged, and he sighed, trying to ignore the shiver that ran down his spine. There wasn’t anything, or at least nothing he could see that put them in imminent danger.</p><p> </p><p>But his gut wasn’t usually wrong, and he told himself to remain alert, knowing there was a reason for this reaction; even if he didn’t know what yet.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p><br/>
<br/>
“Were there any marks on the tree, something to suggest the descend wasn’t natural?” Marcus’s voice was more gruff than usual, the only thing to betray his agitation at the situation. He was turning the piece of bark in his hands, studying it with a frown.</p><p> </p><p>“Uhh, I didn’t really check.” JD rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly, realizing it really was something he’d overlooked in his haste to return indoors, once it was clear the Swarm wasn’t attacking them. Or so it had seemed.</p><p> </p><p>“I did see some scratches, but they looked natural. Like, from rocks as it had rolled down or something.” Del added helpfully, and JD felt thankful at least one of them seemed to have had their head on right today.</p><p> </p><p>“There were no claw or axe marks. I think it must’ve broken off naturally, seen it happen with smaller trees before.” Hendrik spoke next, from the place he’d sat next to the table. He was smoking again, the deep tang of tobacco filling the room. “There’s a reason why these mountains have gone unexplored for so long, even by the old COG.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not quite all of it.” Marcus said cryptically, though JD knew what he was referring to. The operation at Mount Kadar, and how well-kept of a secret the location had remained even after so many years. “But we at least haven’t ventured this far before, that’s true.”</p><p> </p><p>“The first snowstorm which hit us shortly after we’d put up the buildings, had the thermometer read down to –38C. If we hadn’t gotten the generator set up, we would’ve been dead.” Hendrik explained in a nearly passive tone, with nonchalance that reminded JD of Paduk.</p><p> </p><p>He thought of the several occasions on which they’d crossed paths in New Ephyra since the Nomads had evacuated there, and at Paduk’s attitude when the first problems with the nanites had begun. It seemed like there was little which could unsettle him, even if it had included diminishing prospects for the future. Living day-to-day had apparently become an inseparable part of his character, and was something which made JD wonder if he himself would turn out like this, if the war continued to stretch on for years.</p><p> </p><p>After all, nearly one year had already come and gone since that first night at Fort Umson, and the Swarm was still here, still growing.</p><p> </p><p>“Last night wasn’t as bad.” Marcus added, though he seemed lost in thought for a moment. “And it’s still summer.”</p><p> </p><p>“Definitely doesn’t feel like summer to me.” Del said with a huff, still hunched over the breakfast he had finally gotten the chance to finish.</p><p> </p><p>“Summer in the mountains is different. But these storms, they’re off-kilter for the season, alright.” Hendrik shrugged his shoulders, before sighing. “And the temperature’s been dropping again. We’re monitoring it, but I think we can’t get started on the job today. It’s too risky, not just for the people – if the equipment gets hit, we don’t have spares.”</p><p> </p><p>“So what, we wait?” JD felt restless, that sensation of foreboding from earlier rising in his mind again. But he knew it wasn’t his call to make. Glimpsing over at Marcus, he saw that his father didn’t seem happy about the delay either, but didn’t challenge Hendrik’s words.</p><p> </p><p>“I see you’ve never worked a mine before.” For once Hendrik’s tone was lighter, and JD didn’t take his words to heart. They were true after all, and same as how he was expected to do the right call as a commanding officer, he realized so was Hendrik’s position on the team. “Rest up today. It’s always better when there’s no work for the soldiers.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, can’t argue with that.” Gathering his plate and utensils, Del stood up to take them back to the kitchen. “And after yesterday’s trek, I personally wouldn’t mind a slow day.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright then, call us if you need to. We’re gonna go check on Fahz again.” Standing up as well, JD saw Marcus nod before turning his attention back on the piece of wood in his hands. But there was no guessing if his mind was still on it, or someplace else entirely.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p><br/>
<br/>
“I said git your hands off me.” Fahz’s voice could be heard even through the door, though JD was already halfway through opening it. Sharing a startled look with Del, he barged in, uncertain of what he’d see next. “Can you believe this?”</p><p> </p><p>In the second that his heart took to return in its normal position from where it had jumped up in his throat, JD’s eyes had already taken in the scene before him.</p><p> </p><p>Fahz was sitting up in the bed, definitely more awake and alert than he’d been in the morning. Wearing only a pair of shorts, he was busy swatting away at the medic, who looked at them in exasperation as if almost expecting their arrival at that precise moment.</p><p> </p><p>“A damn sponge bath. Do I look that plastered to you or something? It ain’t happening.” Crossing his arms, Fahz glared at them, seemingly expecting back up. But even from a distance, JD could see how tired he looked; eyes reddened, accentuated by deep, dark circles underneath.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh… I mean maybe we could help him to a shower?” JD looked at the medic, trying to sound placating.</p><p> </p><p>“The last thing he needs is to stand up in a hot place. I barely stopped him from bleeding out yesterday, remember?” The medic’s words were crass, but still the sentiment was true. It had taken a lot to keep Fahz alive.</p><p> </p><p>“I could sit just fine. Isn’t there a basin here or something? A tub? I could do with a chair and a bucket if came to be.” Fahz still seemed rather hellbent on the matter, and JD realized they were bordering on a topic that rarely surfaced. Fahz hated to be made to feel inept in some way, but especially when it came to physical attributes.</p><p> </p><p>He’d aced all classes in the academy, even with a degree of visual impairment; and not only. He rarely got angry for more than superficial things, but now JD saw the situation was turning more serious than it strictly needed be.</p><p> </p><p>“That would work actually, yeah? And we can keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn’t pass out or something.” He added, looking at Del and then the medic, trying to convey the importance of that decision despite his casual tone.</p><p> </p><p>“And we can make sure he doesn’t move too much to pull at anything.” Del was quick to catch on, and then turned to Fahz with one of his beaming smiles, the kind JD knew could light up a room. “No sponges necessary.”</p><p> </p><p>“I guess a rubber ducky would be too much to ask for, but we take what we can get, right?” Fahz quipped, his voice much closer to his usual chipper bravado now. But more importantly, JD could see the change in his body language, the way he relaxed his grip on his arms slightly.</p><p> </p><p>“There is a tub, yeah. But no submerging. You can sit under the shower, and the water shouldn’t be hot, just about lukewarm.” The medic stood up, apparently about done with them. “Call me to change his bandages once you’re done. And do your best to support his weight on the way there.”</p><p> </p><p>“Will do.” JD reminded himself the medic had stayed with Fahz most of the night, in addition to performing the surgery; and was likely tired enough even without the added issues, so there was little point in being upset at the somewhat offhand attitude.</p><p> </p><p>And he knew Fahz’s tendency to piss people off was a bit of an acquired taste, that people initially often took personally.</p><p> </p><p>“Bathroom’s down the hall, the last door to the left. Help yourselves.” With that, the medic left, making the room seem much more calm.</p><p> </p><p>“Well that’s mint. Ain’t every day that two beautiful men accompany me to a shower.” Fahz chuckled, raising his brows at them. True, JD thought.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, it usually happens once every few days.” Del said with a smirk, before walking over to Fahz’s bed and engulfing him in a hug. “Don’t go all ‘I’m fine’ on me like that again, you hear?”</p><p> </p><p>“Aw, worried about me, were you?” Still, Fahz had quickly wrapped his arms around Del too, holding him close.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course I was worried. Fahz, you almost died.” Del pulled back from him just enough for them to be face to face, his expression serious. “Like Marcus said, just because you could keep going, didn’t mean you should’ve ignored the pain. It meant things were bad.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not much else we could’ve done though, was there. In the middle of nowhere.” Fahz said with a slight shrug, though JD noticed the barely there shiver which ran through him at the movement, obviously even that had been painful.</p><p> </p><p>“We could’ve carried you. I don’t know, we could’ve done something better.” Grasping Fahz’s hand in his, Del brought it to his lips, kissing over his knuckles. “Anything than having to carry you here in a rush, barely able to feel your pulse.”</p><p> </p><p>“That bad, huh.” Fahz looked away, though he didn’t let go of Del’s hand. “Anyone seen my glasses though? I can’t seem to spot them anywhere.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, they’re here.” Rummaging in one of the pouches on his belt, JD took out Fahz’s shades and handed them to him. “I didn’t even realize I put them away yesterday, found ‘em in the morning.”</p><p> </p><p>“Lucky that you didn’t sit on them then, eh?” Fahz chuckled and inspected the lenses, seemingly satisfied to find no scratches, before setting them down on the cabinet next to the gurney. “Not that I’ll be wearing them to the shower, but it’s nice to know where they are.”</p><p> </p><p>“And speaking of the said shower… Ready to go?” JD picked up the folded towel that was left on a chair nearby, before moving to sit next to Fahz on the gurney, on the opposite side of Del. Together, they got both his arms over their shoulders, supporting him up.</p><p> </p><p>“Just a second like this, maybe.”  Fahz seemed steady on his feet between them, but they still waited diligently for him to give the go again. “Jus’ my vision got dark for a bit. I’m fine now, okay, we can continue.”</p><p> </p><p>It took them several minutes to do the short trip down the corridor, but slow and steady meant less chance to aggravate Fahz’s injury.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh bugger, that’s cold.” Sitting down in the tub, Fahz cursed quietly, before quickly reaching for the shower head. Fiddling with the faucet didn’t take long either, and JD watched as he doused himself with water, sighing in relief.</p><p> </p><p>“This bathroom’s definitely nicer than the one in our room.” Del mused, looking at the steady spray of water. “There was barely a drizzle there yesterday.”</p><p> </p><p>“Finders keepers.” Fahz looked at them, entirely undisturbed by the fact that they were just standing around. It came with sharing a dorm whence the three of them would often have to shave, brush teeth and shower roughly around the same time.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, it sometimes also led to a bit of a delay in the rest of their schedule but… Heh, JD definitely couldn’t complain about that.</p><p> </p><p>“This is so nice, but why the heck is it so cold in here? Is it like this in the whole place?” True to his words, Fahz shivered a bit, despite the steam rising around him.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, it’s been getting colder for a while now, I noticed too.” Walking next to one wall, Del placed a hand on it, staying silent for a bit. “Doesn’t seem to be an issue with the generator, I can still feel the vibrations it makes.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hendrik did say the weather was likely going to worsen though.” JD added, remembering the last Fahz had seen from the area was grass and trees. “There was a snow storm last night. It’s piled on so much snow, you can barely walk around camp.”</p><p> </p><p>“Snowing, in the summer? You havin’ a laugh?” Fahz looked between them both, but still didn’t seem convinced. Lathering himself up, he just shook his head. “I don’t believe it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wait ‘till you see the tree that it brought down. Barely missed turning us all into a can of sardines.” JD leaned on the wall, feeling the smooth cold tiles even through his thick shirt. “Some of the smaller rooms should be warmer though. We gotta ask doc if you’re gonna stay in the infirmary or can already come back to the dorms with us.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’d prefer it, honestly . That gurney’s not good for my back.” Fahz was washing himself efficiently, but still trying his best to avoid soaking the bandages around his midriff. JD knew he loved taking his time with showers, but doctor’s orders…</p><p> </p><p>“We don’t have anything else to do today, for now at least. So we can all rest up some more afterward.” Del said, before picking up the towel JD had set down when he saw Fahz turning off the water. “Come on, all nice and snug.”</p><p> </p><p>“I did hear some hassle at one point earlier. Was it the Swarm?” Fahz took the offered towel, holding it where Del had wrapped it around his shoulders as he carefully stepped over the tub’s edge.</p><p> </p><p>“We thought so, but they’ve been quiet since yesterday. Not as much as a peep after those we took down before the camp.” Hand on Fahz’s waist, Del paused for a second, before turning to JD. “We forgot to get him spare clothes. Go grab some, yeah? The two of us can make it back to the infirmary on our own.”</p><p> </p><p>“So we did get here on time then. You reckon they’ll try to strike again?” Fahz mused, keeping close to Del, seemingly leaning most of his weight on him.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe we’ve still got some time. Without active radio equipment, it seems that the camp falls in a blind spot of sorts, for now.” Shrugging his shoulders a bit, Del gave a nod at JD.</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll handle anything that comes our way, okay?” He hoped he sounded reassuring. After all, they did have enough people and ammunition still, but one never knew the kind of force the Swarm could send their way. “I’ll be back in a bit.”</p><p> </p><p>Going to the other section of the complex, JD definitely felt the change in the temperature a lot more acutely. Rummaging around the duffel bag for clean clothes, he hesitated for a bit before taking out an extra sweater, knowing Fahz was more sensitive to the cold now.</p><p> </p><p>On his way back, he glimpsed at the double doors sealing a small area directly before the exit, a sort of vestibule to prevent heat from escaping whenever anyone went out or came in. The thick glass panels were completely frosted over, although the light switch over the outer door indicated it was still closed.</p><p> </p><p>Frowning, JD walked closer, taking a look at the thermal reading on the display next to it.</p><p> </p><p>What he saw made him take a step back, before tapping the device in confusion. Surely, it had to be wrong?</p><p> </p><p>“I restarted it three times already, and Jenkins went out to check the tools. It’s not an error.” Hendrik’s voice startled him, and JD turned, noticing the man’s dark expression. “It seems like we’ve come across one of those storms old people tell of. The kind that are the reason these mountains never became home to any people.”</p><p> </p><p>“We do still have the generator, and shelter, right? So we’ll just wait for it to pass.” Uncertain as to the sudden shift in the engineer’s otherwise logical demeanor, JD glanced back at the number that was supposed to indicate the temperature outside. Just as he did, the digits changed, falling even lower.</p><p> </p><p>“I'm afraid that might not be enough if it really is a frostwind that’s coming, no.”</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>***</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“Sit your ass down.”</p><p> </p><p>“But that’s gunfire!” He insisted again, ready to gear up.</p><p> </p><p>“No it’s not.”</p><p> </p><p>“Pretty sure it is. We can at least check it out, before they blow us all to pieces.”</p><p> </p><p>Marcus glared at him, the kind of look which could easily make recruits, and not only, cower away. He squared his jaw instead, having had practice and all.</p><p> </p><p>“Listen to your old man.” Hendrik said from the side, where he was still fiddling with a makeshift upgrade to one of the generators. Del was crouching next to him, helping and on occasion supplying a useful idea.</p><p> </p><p>The two of them seemed to be the only ones currently doing anything useful, and it made JD feel even more restless.</p><p> </p><p>“You can’t tell me stuff blowing up is just the wind.” He continued, albeit a bit less forcefully.</p><p> </p><p>“’Cause it’s not.” Hendrik said with a shrug of his shoulders, not looking up from his handiwork. “It’s the trees shattering to pieces from the rapid frost onset.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are mountains always so cozy?” Fahz chimed in, currently looking rather miserable propped on one of the couches someone had dragged to the main room. It had quickly become the core of the base, the only place that could fit everyone and still retain enough heat. “I’m really starting to think signing up for another hive bust would’ve had a greater outlook for my life expectancy.”</p><p> </p><p>“They’re usually just cold. And rough to live in.” Hendrik sighed. “This storm front however… Pretty fucking hostile, aye.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s putting it lightly.” Marcus hummed, fiddling with the few spare rounds on the table. He’d been preparing extra ammo clips, seemingly more out of habit than actual necessity, since no one was to go out in that weather. JD still couldn’t quite believe it really was as bad as the engineer had insinuated earlier. “I’ve never lived through one of these, but I knew someone whose parents supposedly did.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah? And who’s that?” His tone came out a bit more rash than what JD was actually going for, since his dad’s words did make him curious. “I mean. We’ve never read about it in school is all.”</p><p> </p><p>“It was a long time ago. Handful of years after E-day.” Putting the clips to the side, Marcus looked away, seeming lost in thought for a moment, before reaching for the mug of coffee by his elbow. “There was this Gear, he’d come down from one of the mountain villages. The kind you can’t even find on the map.”</p><p> </p><p>“And what did he say? How did his parents make it out?” Del asked, pausing his work on the thick stack of cables on one side of the generator. From what JD had understood, they were trying to connect additional power to make sure the generator would maintain maximum capacity, even outside of the conditions it had been made to operate in. Also, would serve as a back-up in case the main supply was cut off, for whatever reason.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, if you feel like a story, I can tell it.” Marcus glanced around the room, seemingly gauging the reaction of everyone around. As far as JD could see, no one was opposed to the idea. If anything, a distraction seemed more than welcome, considering the grim outlook they’d predicted for the storm. The frostwind, as Hendrik had called it. “I still remember the details, but beat me if I can remember what his name was.”</p><p> </p><p>“’S okay. That happens with time.” Although Hendrik seemed a good twenty or so years younger than Marcus, JD knew he’d likely lived and fought through the brunt of the Locust war, for long enough to remember it in all its gruesome details. “And meeting lots of people, when not all of them make it.”</p><p> </p><p>The mood in the room seemed to grow even more somber at his words. JD leaned back in his seat, noting that Fahz took it as an invitation to curl up closer by his side. He was all wrapped up in a blanket, his face still looking ashy; the medic had connected an IV to his arm again, with antibiotic and mild painkillers. They weren’t strong enough to knock him out, but he seemed drowsy for the past couple of hours since everyone had gathered up.</p><p> </p><p>Wrapping an arm around his shoulders, he hoped he could warm him up some. The room wasn’t too cold, but it hadn’t heated up either, despite the generator; a testament of how low the temperature outside had dropped. Before the outer thermostat had frozen up completely and stopped broadcasting data, the digits had gone far into the negative; far enough to mean nothing could survive outside for long.</p><p> </p><p>And now, if Hendrik was right and the occasional loud crackling noise came from trees bursting into pieces as their moisture froze rapidly enough to expand and shatter them, JD did wonder if their safe haven would remain so for long.</p><p> </p><p>They’d really made it through the swarm so far, in an attempted rescue mission, just to end up basically stranded huh. He definitely didn’t envy that kind of luck.</p><p> </p><p>Especially since no one who wasn’t in the room knew about it.</p><p> </p><p>There hadn’t been a chance to put up the communication equipment up again, so if Baird suspected anything from their radio silence, it likely meant he was going to send reinforcements. But that was going to take at least another two days to reach them, and JD didn’t even know if the storm would ease off by then.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe there wasn’t going to be much left to save, after that.</p><p> </p><p>He knew that earlier, the geologist team had been busy making copies of the data they’d found so far; then putting the digital and paper backups into a safe box. Hoping to at least preserve their knowledge of the region and the reason for their mission, if it meant it would give people the so desperately needed fighting chance.</p><p> </p><p>JD briefly mused over Fahz’s earlier quip about the hives; the new way of fighting they’d been working on in the past months. Well, not that he himself had come up with the idea, but still… He’d joined a mission alongside Del and Fahz a few times.</p><p> </p><p>Following in the footsteps of Team Scorpio, the three Gears that were the source of a lot of talks lately. From what he knew, Cole’s daughter Hannah had been behind most of the logistics in that plan; teaming up with Baird for some insight. Though he was busy too, and that project had fallen mostly on her and her team’s shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>It hadn’t yielded the end of the Swarm via their neural connection, but it had revealed more about them. And, given a few more good ideas in the meantime.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, Marcus had been opposed to the three of them doing those kinds of missions at first. But with hives multiplying like, well, insect colonies, everyone was running out of options.</p><p> </p><p>There was only so much that New Ephyra could sustain; he shivered slightly as he remembered the siege months ago. They’d fought non-stop for weeks, and he had seriously considered that maybe that had been it after all.</p><p> </p><p>That it was the Swarm’s biggest organized effort so far, and it would inevitably exhaust everyone’s strength and the city’s limited resources, bringing about the end.</p><p> </p><p>But, something had disrupted the Swarm back then, and they had overpowered the last hordes of enemies instead. Though, it made one thing clear: the war was far from ending.</p><p> </p><p>The Swarm would multiply until there was no other life left on Sera.</p><p> </p><p>Thinking back on the dream they’d shared while captured in those pods, drugged out of their minds by the Snatchers’ toxic sludge, JD had faced more of his fears than he was willing to admit. There was no way for them to give up now, to lose each other, to lose everything.</p><p> </p><p>Baird’s plan had to work; they had to get to that Osmium, one way or another.</p><p> </p><p>“Well do mind, back then, the Imulsion had been a new thing, far off, recently discovered.” Marcus began, his low tone filling up the silence in the room. “Most mountaineers had depended on wood, or coal, a lot of them working in mines and quarries to provide for their families.”</p><p> </p><p>Listening, JD pictured Marcus’ words coming to life in his mind. Even as he spoke of a life that seemed so different and distant from anything he’d known, he supposed some things transcended personal experience; instead finding some sort of a niche, a joined memory, collective consciousness. Like how all the fairytales could grow vividly in a child’s mind, he could nearly feel a connection to those long gone people, and their life in the mountains.</p><p> </p><p>Taste the crisp cold air, the snow, imagine the dampness of the cave tunnels and quarries. The soft darkness, the enormous weight of the unseen ground above them. Feel the weary exhaustion in their bodies after a day’s hard work, the hunger waiting to be sated at a dinner table in their home.</p><p> </p><p>Find the comfort and relief in a family, a child’s embrace, a reminder at why everything was worth it.</p><p> </p><p>“They had been just kids back then, more or less.” Marcus added, speaking of the unnamed Gear’s parents. “Maybe those in the room who’d lived as Outsiders would recognize places such as town halls and the significance they had in townfolk’s minds. The feeling of security, of shared space.”</p><p> </p><p>“We would tell stories there after dinner.” One woman spoke up, her tone somewhat wistful. “Maybe work on something in the meantime, but it never felt like work when chatting up with others, or just listening.”</p><p> </p><p>“I miss that too.” Del added, making JD’s chest tighten with emotion. They hadn’t been in Fort Umson for long, but he too felt a certain fondness about the life they’d had there. Though, Del had fit in much better than him.</p><p> </p><p>JD had still felt like he wouldn’t quite give up some of the city’s conveniences if he’d had a choice. Now, there was simply no other option but living in the city, and both of them would occasionally reminisce about the Outsider way of life. The touch of wilderness and freedom which was lost in the orderly world of the COG to begin with, but now the Swarm had robbed them of completely.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, if it hadn’t been for that, probably nobody would’ve made it out of there.” Marcus continued. “Both the space, and the stories matterd. It had most folks already indoors, the children too. Though many of the miners had been away, as well as the lumberjacks.”</p><p> </p><p>“Was it winter then, or like here now?” Fahz was the next to ask something, and JD chuckled, realizing they were all turning into little kids again. So eager to know the story, it was impossible not to interrupt.</p><p> </p><p>“Winter. Which had made it better and worse, in a way.” For a long moment, Marcus remained silent; his hands wrapped around the coffee mug. “There had been enough wood stacked around, for starters. But also, people had thought it was just another unusually cold start of the day. By the time they’d realized a storm was coming, it had been too late for most who were outside.”</p><p> </p><p>“Normal storms, well, people of the mountains can have a chance with. But the speed a frostwind can move with, no outrunning that I hear.” Hendrik said, now sitting next to the generator, his work seemingly done for the moment. Del was still screwing up a lid, hiding the exposed electrical bowels of the machine.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, if it does what you say to the trees, I can about imagine it happening with people too.” Fahz grimaced, and JD could feel him shiver momentarily. He himself definitely didn’t wish to dwell further on the mental image of anything alive in the path of the frostwind.</p><p> </p><p>“It had been the case, yeah.” Marcus had also ditched his armor for several layers of thick sweaters, like the rest of them; making the decision to preserve the battery of the added heating system in reserve for any worst case scenario. “They’d kept the fire roaring non-stop for days. Eventually burning chairs and tables and anything that could give them a few more hours. Listening to the ground itself groaning with the strain, feeling the cold creeping in despite everything.”</p><p> </p><p>“Telling stories?” Fahz chuckled humorlessly, which was fitting considering their current position.</p><p> </p><p>“Best believe it.” Marcus didn’t seem to mind the occasional interruptions. For someone who rarely spoke a lot, JD realized they were perhaps successfully prompting him to keep going.  “There had been no monsters back then. Even the word of the Pendulum wars had barely reached those remote villages, seeming less than a problem and more something that brought greater demand for their coal and wood instead.”</p><p> </p><p>“And Osmium?” Del asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh yeah.” Looking to the wall where the guns were kept on a rack, he paused again for a brief moment, even though Lancers were no longer being coated with Osmium for decades. “The durability of Osmium was once considered something that would secure the COG’s victory over the Republics.”</p><p> </p><p>“Funny how that ended up then, huh.” Hendrik clicked his lighter a few times until flame came out, lighting up a cigarette. “Hundred years, more or less, and we be thinking the same thing.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s a bit more than a guess this time.” Del said, nearly defensively. JD knew he’d spent whatever time he could spare between battles and rest going to Baird’s lab, following the progress of his experiment. The data Baird, Paduk and Kait had recovered from Vasgar had proved useful, but JD hadn’t quite understood the technicality of the lot of it. Still, he trusted Del’s opinion on the matter, Baird’s too.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, jury’s still out on that one, isn’t it?” Hendrik shrugged his shoulders, gesturing over to Marcus with his free hand. “Continue, please. I do want to know how the rest of the story goes.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, aside for fearing for their own lives, they were scared about the others. Their spouses, their parents, siblings, those who hadn’t made it to safety in time.” That was a fear seemingly everyone in the room could share, JD thought; his father’s words ringing true for him for sure.  “Keeping the heat going was how they survived. And remaining civil.”</p><p> </p><p>The last bit was driven in with a pointed glance at his direction, and JD averted his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Sometimes sitting and waiting is all that can be done.” Marcus sighed. “Doesn’t mean it’s not useful, or that it’s easy.”</p><p> </p><p>“So, since that Gear came from the mountains, does it mean his parents never left that place?” Fahz lifted a brow. “Isn’t that a bit of a ridiculous decision?”</p><p> </p><p>“That place had been their home, and most of the survivors had chosen to stay.” Marcus explained further. “They might’ve feared another frostwind, but they’d also known their enemy now, knew how to be prepared about it. Made them quite the stone-faced folk too.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh I bet.” Del put his tools away, then got up; JD smiled as he saw him coming over to sit with him and Fahz. “I know we all got used to windflares, more or less, but it still sounds like a hell of a thing to face out in the wild, more or less torn away from the rest of the world.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s why we Outsiders always were strong folk. Would’ve never joined the COG if it wasn’t for the Swarm.” Someone else from the team spoke up, JD unable to quite recall their name. “But you won’t see us cowering away from battle either.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well I know the man who told me the story never ran away.” Marcus looked over to the person who’d spoken. “Took a lot of ‘em bastards with him too.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’d drink to that, whoever he was.” The others joined with a crowd of cheers, seemingly ready to forget their differences again when faced with the memory of the unknown soldier.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe, if we survive the frostwind, it would give us an advantage, a few more Swarm-free days.” Hendrik mused after a while. “Could set up the radio again, and the drill. Call command when we know something, and well, to let them know we’re still here and kickin’.”</p><p> </p><p>“Seems like a decent plan.” Fahz added. “So here’s to hoping.”</p><p> </p><p>“Right…” JD said, even if thinking few days ahead now seemed like something next to impossible. He felt Del’s fingers brushing over his neck, gently running up and over his shortly cropped hair. Glancing at him where he rest by Fahz’s side, he could only hope that things would end well, and soon.</p><p> </p><p>There was still a lot of work before them.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>***</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Also yep, guess who finally read the Hivebusters comics! </p><p>I feel I really hit close to that with my dream-sharing chapter in Lost in the Ozone, so I'm definitely keepin' some ideas in the works. </p><p>Check out those comics if you haven't, they're quite good, albeit brief. Definitely gave me the feels! And also yay for the upcoming DLC :3 </p><p>((PS, PS: Cole's daughter ♥♥♥ ))</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"It was the wolf in me,<br/>When the world was cold,<br/>It was the life I lived,<br/>In the dark world below"</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>***</p>
<hr/><p>***</p><p> </p><p>The lights were out.</p><p>They’d had to re-route power to the generator twice now; and finally, with one last flicker, the bulbs had given up.</p><p>Only the faint glow of the generator’s various diodes was left to give shape to the darkness in the room.</p><p>Thankfully, the cold remained at bay, relatively – for the moment at least.</p><p>Fahz wondered how long that would last.</p><p>He was almost sure that JD had dozed off at some point in the past twenty minutes or so, snug by his side, his arm resting over Fahz’s chest. Del was on his right, but he was definitely still awake. Fahz had seen him get up to nervously check the generator twice now, and although his warmth and presence was comforting, Fahz could feel the tension and worry that must’ve been coursing through his mind.</p><p>Everyone was on edge, especially when the quiet came.</p><p>Initially, the racket of the trees and the storm had been something awful, pulling at their already frayed nerves, playing with battlefield reflexes and fears of the Swarm alike. But then, as those sounds had gradually faded and eventually disappeared, the silence seemed terse.</p><p>He was used to waiting, to bidding his time and knew patience was a high virtue – especially when it dictated whether or not you’d be the one left standing at the end of a battle that could last no more than few minutes. That’s when your real mettle got to shine through; the ability to gauge the situation, to not act too rashly and impulsively.</p><p>Fahz had scored plenty of Swarm kills that exact same way, and yet even he was getting antsy.</p><p>Marcus and Hendrik were quiet shadows hunkered near the table that the former had spent most of the evening at, and they seemed content to pass the time by smoking, the ember light of their cigarette tips occasionally glowing bright enough to give clarity to their features.</p><p>He found himself thinking back on some of the stories he’d heard about Marcus. Some were part of their lessons in school or later in the Academy, and others little more than gossip between the recruits.</p><p>Often he began to wonder which of them had more merit.</p><p>Since he’d grown to actually, well, be around Marcus, he had formed a bit different view of the man.</p><p>One of the things that had kept after all, was his complete admiration when seeing him in battle. There was a whole lifetime in the way he fought, the efficiency of his movements, his reflexes, the way he at times seemed able to tell an enemy’s movement before it had even begun.</p><p>All that had Fahz wonder, what was the old Gear thinking of now.</p><p>Had he really meant it earlier, that note of optimism in his story, or had that just been something supposed to make them all feel better about their current predicament?</p><p>He found that he couldn’t quite say.</p><p>At least, he liked to think, their chances were significantly higher by just having him around.</p><p>His presence boosted morale; even people who’d been Outsiders before seemed to know and regard him with a sort of respect, as if he were a neutral player amidst a game much older than Fahz himself.</p><p>He wasn’t sure of the whole story there, but maybe one day he would get to know it.</p><p>Next to him, JD twitched in his sleep, his arm tightening around Fahz; he gripped at his hand, hoping the touch would calm him, pierce through the veil of whatever dream was tormenting him.</p><p>That had become a more common occurrence since the incident; as Fahz preferred to refer to it in his mind.</p><p>Ever since the nanites and Jack had formed the neural connection between the three of them, JD’s dreams had left him wandering around in the middle of the night, or thrashing around the bed until he or Del woke him up.</p><p>He had worried, but Baird had told him it shouldn’t have been a permanent effect.</p><p>Once the nanites wore off, they were all hoping the disruption in JD’s sleep patterns would end too, which, however, did not happen.</p><p>Fahz knew some of the things on the forefront of JD’s mind, the guilt and fear that he’d pushed back during his waking life coming back to haunt him as he slept. Del knew them too, and it was something that had become even more evident between them as they’d shared the Swarm’s connection in the hive pods; the Snatcher’s venom lulling their consciousness, leaving them more open and vulnerable to each other’s thoughts than they’d ever be otherwise.</p><p>There were things Fahz himself had dreamt that he’d never thought to share with anyone, but were now privy to Del and JD; as well as dreams he knew Del must’ve felt the same about.</p><p>In the end, things had only changed for the better between them.</p><p>But JD didn’t seem to rest the same as he usually would, on the nights he dreamt like this.</p><p>Another involuntary movement caught Fahz’s attention, so he reached over and gently caressed JD’s cheek.</p><p>“Hey luv, wake up.” He whispered, feeling momentarily self-conscious since despite that the darkness seemed so intimate, they still shared the room with everyone else from the team. But he decided it doesn’t matter, if it meant he could rouse JD gently out of the throes of his nightmare. “I know you’re not having a good time in there, come on now.”</p><p>“Mmmh…” JD’s hand moved up but then he seemed to realize what was happening, and instead embraced Fahz a bit tighter, burying his face against the palm he’d rested on his cheek. “Sorry…”</p><p>“Nothin’ to apologize for.” He muttered back, taking the opportunity the darkness presented to place a gentle kiss on JD’s forehead. “I wasn’t sleeping anyways.”</p><p>“I wonder how much longer the storm would keep.” JD said in a quiet voice. “I feel like a bear about to go into hibernation.”</p><p>“Sure feel like one too.” Fahz snickered, fingers running over JD’s neatly trimmed beard. He’d shaved part of it, but Fahz quite liked the look and texture of it still. “Makes me think of what’s the situation like back in New Ephyra.”</p><p>“Let’s hope everything’s normal.” Del added, resting his head on Fahz’s shoulder. “I mean, I bet Baird’s practically freaking out by now. But aside from that, you know.”</p><p>“Can’t say I’ve ever wanted to appreciate having him yell my ear off more than I do now.” JD huffed in response. “Be as it may, we have to trust in him holding up the fort while we’re holed up in here.”</p><p>“Aw, he’ll do fine.” Fahz mused. “He’s dealt with much worse I feel.”</p><p>“I don’t think responsibility’s ever fallen that much on his shoulders as it does now. That can wear a man out.” Del sighed, and Fahz felt him find JD’s hand where it rested on his shoulder. “We really should’ve gotten Jack with us.”</p><p>“I thought he said the bots can’t transmit that far because of the interference in this part of the mountains.” JD’s tone was curious.</p><p>“Yeah, but it would’ve made me feel better to have him around.” There was definite fondness in Del’s voice.</p><p>Fahz couldn’t blame him, since he’d seen the affection he had for the bot first hand. That hadn’t changed even when Jack had gotten his new unit, the eerily human-like DeeBee body prototype Baird had kept hidden away.</p><p>“You know, the cold probably wouldn’t have been good for his circuits and all that.” He said after a while.</p><p>“He’s made to sustain all kinds of conditions.” Del protested, albeit it seemed half-heartedly.</p><p>“Well, no use crying over spilled milk now.” JD added.</p><p>The building picked that moment to creak ominously, a long, drawn-out sound that definitely didn’t seem good.</p><p>A pang of pain ran through Fahz’s midriff, reminding him that tensing up definitely didn’t bode well with his injury.</p><p>Just as he was about to try and think of some witty remark, another creak sounded – although, that one felt more muted, almost like a reverberation through the structure rather than noise.</p><p>The hairs on the back of his neck rose in warning.</p><p>He glanced over, noticing that Marcus’ reaction had been instantaneous; he’d jumped on his feet, sidearm in hand.</p><p>The tension in the room seemed palpable enough to cut.</p><p>Another, much stronger tremor ran through the ground, making the sinking feeling in Fahz’s gut intensify further.</p><p>“Alright then, maybe it’s time we gear up.” He said in a somber tone, sitting up slightly.</p><p>He definitely felt far from able to do the above with any degree of comfort, but he’d be damned if he let the bloody Swarm find him defenseless.</p><p>“We shouldn’t rush—“ JD’s words had barely registered, when the world around them shattered.</p><p>With a wail of bending steel the rumble of crumbling stone, Fahz found himself thrown off the sofa by an abrupt motion, feeling the dizzying sensation of the floor sinking beneath him.</p><p>It was the same sense of a missed step, of a startled awakening from a nightmare; and then, it kept going.</p><p>He remembered the crash, brightness exploding behind his closed eyelids, then nothing but darkness and pain.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>***</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>A hand grabbed his, and he sat up with a start, coughing and fighting to pull in air that tasted like dust and stuck at the back of his throat, causing another coughing fit.</p><p>By the end of both, his lungs burned and his stomach felt like someone had seared it open and filled it with a shovel of burning coals; but he gripped the hand tighter and took another hitched breath, feeling the tears that had gathered in the ends of his eyelids.</p><p>“I got you, you’re alright – Fahz, does something hurt, you got to tell me.” Del’s voice was close, and that same hand pulled him closer in an embrace which he returned without thinking.</p><p>At the same time, he realized that it got him out of underneath a large piece of plaster that he’d apparently been under so far too.</p><p>“What the… Bloody hell…” He leaned against Del, still unable to see anything. His ears were ringing, but there was definitely sound all around him – muted cursing and the occasional rumble of something heavy sliding over a sheet of metal. “I’ll live, sure feel like shit though.”</p><p>It was an understatement, but what more could he say? They were both alive, but damned if he could figure out what the hell had just happened.</p><p>He couldn’t hear gunfire or any of the Swarm’s distinct screeches and battle cries; it didn’t seem to be an ambush after all.</p><p>A solitary light beam flickered somewhere to his side, the white dot dancing over air that was still filled with dust; and yes, what seemed to be… snow.</p><p>A shuffle of running feet, and Marcus was right next to them; his lancer being the source of the light, the flashlight mounted on top of it to be precise.</p><p>“You alright boys?” He asked, though Fahz saw his face instantly focused on something else.</p><p>JD was still lying on the sofa, the same one Fahz (and apparently Del) had fallen off of.</p><p>Marcus was over him in an instant, dropping his lancer to the floor.</p><p>“His pulse is steady.” He said quickly, and Fahz let go of the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “James? James, wake up.”</p><p>Marcus was shaking him lightly, hand coming up to pat at his face.</p><p>“Here, try some water.” Hendrik’s voice surprised them all, but the man had come up behind them nearly soundlessly. He’d offered his opened canteen, and Marcus took it quickly.</p><p>Pouring a bit of water in his palm, he wet the sides of JD’s face, then his forehead.</p><p>Fahz saw his eyes flicker open, eyebrows instantly drawn together.</p><p>“Ouch…” Anyone else might’ve cursed first, but Fahz knew, JD really wasn’t the type right upon waking up.</p><p>“Heya, stay with us now.” He moved closer to the sofa, still on his knees, but finding JD’s hand regardless.</p><p>This close, he saw the wetness on his left temple; a dark streak not caused by water.</p><p>“Marcus, he’s…”</p><p>“I see.” Marcus gently touched the skin underneath the wound, then made a humming noise at the back of his throat. “Don’t move for now, alright? We don’t know how bad this is. Damn head injuries always bleed too much.”</p><p>“I’m not moving.” JD did look to the side however, and Fahz saw the relief in his expression when he found Del who had come closer as well. “A question though. What just happened?”</p><p>“We crashed down.” Marcus nearly grumbled, as if angry at the notion itself. “Must’ve been some old Locust tunnels underneath, or dunno.”</p><p>“Wait, how do you know?” Del asked.</p><p>“Look there.” Marcus just nodded in the direction that his lancer’s light beam was still pointing in, behind them.</p><p>A jagged hole, roughly a third of where the building’s wall and corridor towards the other sections had been, opened to more darkness; wind came through, blasting in dry snowflakes and more dust.</p><p>Despite the heartbeat still hammering in his chest, Fahz realized how much colder it had become all of a sudden. His hands weren’t shaking just because of the adrenaline.</p><p>“Here, take this.” Hendrik handed Marcus a first aid kit. “The generator’s busted, I just had a look.”</p><p>“That’s not good at all.” Del added. Fahz glanced back, and saw the hunkering form of the generator; even he could see that something about the way it was looked off. Namely the giant rock protruding from the floor and directly into it. “What are we going to do?”</p><p>“Scout ahead.” Marcus was tearing into a package of sterile gauze, then opened up a bottle of disinfectant. “See if there’s anything more to the place we’ve fallen into. And how deep are we.”</p><p>“I’ll do that, you handle things here, alright?” Hendrik nodded at them. “The guns are still in one piece at least.”</p><p>“Be careful.” Marcus said, pausing his work to look at Hendrik. “Are you sure you’re not hurt? Anyone else?”</p><p>“I think I got away with a bruised rib.” Hendrik shrugged his shoulders. “At least a couple people got something broken though, so we’ll have to make some splints.”</p><p>“I’ll try and check everyone.” Del said, already getting up; glancing at JD, he trailed a hand over his shoulder. “Hold on for me, alright?”</p><p>“Alright.” JD said softly, smiling up at him. “It’s just a scratch anyways.”</p><p>“Let me be the judge of that.” Marcus muttered and began cleaning up the wound, which made JD wince as the touch of the disinfectant.</p><p>Fahz’s own pain had subsided some, though he knew it was a good idea to look over the wound.</p><p>Catching a moment in which both Marcus and JD seemed focused on each other more than him, he pulled the edge of his sweater up; the light was weak, but he saw no darkness or blood over his bandages.</p><p>“Well, one good thing…” He said quietly, then noticed JD was looking at him now.</p><p>“Does it hurt?” He asked, glancing down at Fahz.</p><p>“Nah, don’t worry about it.” There was little point to lying about it, but he figured everyone was worried enough as is. JD didn’t seem entirely convinced, but thankfully didn’t comment further, Marcus’ work on his own wound proving distracting enough.</p><p>Falling down a damn locust tunnel, or a sinkhole or whatever it was. Goddamn luck.</p><p>That mission seemed more and more like a pretty sincere attempt on his life.</p><p>Shivering up again, Fahz wrapped his arms around himself. He still couldn’t quite orientate too well, and he sighed as he fruitlessly glanced around the rubble in hope of finding his glasses.</p><p>He’d had them on his head after the lights were out, but seemingly half a building’s worth of collapsed rocks was strewn around right about now, so he didn’t have much hope he’d get to find them. Much like him, they’d likely been flung away during the initial collapse.</p><p>Still, this close, he could see relatively clearly as Marcus glued the edges of JD’s wound together; once he’d washed off all the blood, the cut didn’t seem deep, and not more than a thumb’s width in length. But indeed, it had given them all a scare.</p><p>Rubbing a soothing circle over JD’s shoulder, he looked to the side, catching a glimpse at Del who was assisting the medic in wrapping up somebody’s arm in a tight bandage.</p><p>Yeah, all in all, no casualties it seemed. Fahz knew it would’ve been a pretty shitty way to die, especially after having avoided the Swarm’s earlier attack.</p><p>“You’re ready here, but take it easy.” Marcus had pressed a few butterfly closures on JD’s wound as well, seemingly just in case. “If you feel dizzy, or sick when you sit up, tell me immediately.”</p><p>“Okay dad.” JD said in a placating tone. He seemed well aware of how worried Marcus must’ve been; and Fahz smiled slightly as he noted the care in JD’s voice. “Sitting up now, nothing else hurts for the moment.”</p><p>JD remained seated for a while, but then glanced down at his hands.</p><p>“Seems a bit too chilly here, doesn’t it? Feels like I’m turning blue.” He added, shaking his fingers some. </p><p>Fahz himself had put one of his hands underneath his sweater, his fingers aching with the cold.</p><p>“The storm is still going strong out there.” Marcus frowned and looked up, although the damaged dome of the building was still above them. “Staying here like this won’t help us much.”</p><p>Getting up with a muted groan, he picked up his lancer.</p><p>“I’ll get us our armor, then we’ll see what Hendrik says.”</p><p>“Yeah…” JD seemed worried, and Fahz knew well what must’ve been on the top of his mind; they had their armor, but the others did not. And even that wasn’t likely to buy them more time, if they stayed holed up and the storm kept on.</p><p>“As I’ve said before, it’s never boring with you lot.” Fahz teased, trying to lighten up the situation. It earned him a small smile in turn, JD’s hand seeking his.</p><p>He kept it between his palms, blowing on it slightly in an attempt to warm him up.</p><p>“Will you be alright?” JD did get back to the point however. “You could barely move on your own this morning.”</p><p>“I’ll make it. I have to, remember?” Fahz rested his chin against JD’s knees. “We both do.”</p><p>“Maybe doc can give you some painkillers again, if we have to move.” JD glanced at the first aid kit still next to him. “Best wait and hear what he says though.”</p><p>“I can work with that.” He missed the drip IV he’d been on earlier; that had felt good, more than simply taking the edge off; but he wasn’t a priority right now. And their supplies weren’t limitless, that had been clear from the start.</p><p>“Hey, so we sorted out everyone else.” Del said as he came closer to them. “Hendrik and his team aren’t back yet though.”</p><p>“They got their radios with them?” Marcus asked, dropping the bags with the armor at their feet. He had already put his own on, and went to tighten up some of the straps. “Could give them a call, short-range might not be detected by anything.”</p><p>“The Swarm you mean?” Del was quick to follow his example, and began suiting up. “Let’s give them some more time. Underground… We’re on their turf now.”</p><p>“Oh that sounds merry.” Fahz sighed, but pulled over his own duffel bag still and began armoring up.</p><p>“Do you need help with that?” JD asked, but he brushed him off quickly.</p><p>“I’m fine, okay?” He kicked lightly at the last bag. “Go on then, your turn.”</p><p>He did however lean on the hand Del had offered him as he got up, dots dancing over his vision momentarily before he gained his equilibrium back.</p><p>“As you say.” JD chimed back, and focused on his own gear.</p><p>They were just about done, when a commotion at the newly formed ‘entrance’ of the dome got their attention.</p><p>Hendrik and his squad were back, and everyone seemed eager to hear what they had to say.</p><p>“Gather up now, not gonna repeat this individually.” Hendrik’s voice urged on the chatter to subside.</p><p>Fahz and the rest of Delta came up to him as well, and he waited, noticing that everyone’s breath formed clouds in the air, the low temperature more evident than not.</p><p>“We’re in a large cave system, one main large tunnel. It keeps going forward, and we couldn’t find a visible end to it.” Hendrik paused as worried mutters erupted all around them. “Now, you’re not going to like the next part, but here it is. We need to move further inside, if we want to survive.”</p><p>“No way, that’s grub town back there!” One of the researchers spoke out angrily, and the others seemed more or less in agreement.</p><p>“Well if you prefer freezing, be my guest.” Hendrik snapped back, his anger a testament that even his patience had been pushed too far. “We didn’t see any sign of enemy activity. The tunnel appears undisturbed by outer forces, so I think whatever’s made it has been gone a long time now.”</p><p>“So it’s not natural?” Marcus asked, stepping closer. Surely, the geologist of all people should’ve been able to say.</p><p>“It’s not.” Hendrik’s words were met with another disharmonious rumble from the small crowd. “But they’re not Locust nor Swarm tunnels either.”</p><p>“Then what are they?” Del sounded confused, and honestly Fahz shared the sentiment.</p><p>“I don’t know for sure. Maybe the rift worm, or something like it.” Hendrik sighed before continuing. “It looks similar to the information I’ve read about that, but I can’t be certain.”</p><p>“As long as there’s no Swarm or pods in it, we’re going. That’s not up for a debate folks.” Marcus said, looking over everyone. “Staying here is a no-go. Grab whatever supplies you can carry, and let’s go before the storm gets the better of us.”</p><p>“Remember, food, water, ammunition.” JD joined in, reminding Fahz of their training about similar situations. “Medication and clothing or blankets next. I know you’ll hate me for it, but the research’s for last.”</p><p>“We have it in the strong box anyways.” Hendrik sighed, though he seemed in agreement with him for once. “You heard him people, double time it!”</p><p>“Fahz, will you be able to…” Del began, his voice low. He’d come closer, and Fahz noted the worry in his gaze.</p><p>“I will, promise to lean on you before passing out this time.” He grinned, trying to summon some of his usual bravado. “Don’t worry about me babe. Come on, I’m a big lad.”</p><p>“I know. And I still worry.” Del shrugged, hand resting on Fahz’s forearm. “I’ll carry you this time if it’s too much.”</p><p>“And I’ll let you. If it’s too much.” He meant it, however. There were no more clean surgical rooms now, and Fahz knew he had to be careful. The last thing he wanted was to be a liability, or to slow people down, but he was going to try his best. And together they could do it.</p><p>“You better.” Smiling at him, Del went to grab his weapons; Fahz followed slowly.</p><p>Double-checking his rifle and pistol as he holstered it up, he watched JD and Marcus share a few pouches with extra ammunition and rations. He got a couple himself, but when he tried to pick some of the heaver bags with supplies, JD just gave him a long look.</p><p>“You’re not carrying more than strictly necessary.” He said and shouldered the extra bag himself.</p><p>“Fine, mom.” Fahz rolled his eyes, though he knew it was for his own good. “And your head’s still alright?”</p><p>“Hurts a bit, but nothing else does.” JD sounded sincere. “I did land softly, aside from whatever conked me on it that is.”</p><p>“One could argue I did too, since Del was there.” Fahz huffed, and heard Del’s muffled ‘ha’ come from somewhere to the side. “Bollocks, it’s really freezing in here.”</p><p>“And that’s our cue to go.” Marcus came between them. “Everyone ready? Form up, and follow up. No splitting off the main group.”</p><p>“Yessir.” Fahz said nearly by reflex, although he knew Marcus’ words were largely meant for everyone else. Still, he earned himself a sidelong glance, though thankfully no additional comment.</p><p>“You heard the man. Let’s get to it.” Hendrik said as well, and slowly, the ragtag team of researchers and gears formed up a semi-orderly line, a couple of people in a row once they got out of the wreckage.</p><p>The initial stretch of hundred meters or so was the roughest one; Fahz felt sweat beading up on his forehead despite the biting cold, as his muscles protested at the effort it took to climb up, around and over the various chunks of ground, trees, snow and boulders imminently surrounding the sinkhole of the former research camp.</p><p>Still, with Del and JD’s help, he pulled through and finally realized what Hendrik had meant earlier.</p><p>The tunnel ahead seemed enormous, and yet too round and precise to be a natural formation.</p><p>It stretched on into the dark bowels of the mountain, a monolith tunnel that seemed almost alien in its sterility.</p><p>Fahz didn’t know all that much about caves, but he had seen pictures. He expected… stalactites, and stalagmites, and random, uneven shapes that nature seemed so fond of; maybe some mud or clay, who knows.</p><p>Instead, the tunnel was smooth, aside from the occasional crack running through it, and slightly damp.</p><p>He still felt cold, but at least they’d left the snow behind.</p><p>A hot shudder ran down his spine, and he reminded himself to keep breathing. Despite the size of it, the tunnel felt claustrophobic, because even their flashlights weren’t enough to light up properly or completely.</p><p>Marcus had also given the order to conserve energy, so they had the minimal amount of light they could get away with; mostly serving to the squad up front, led by him and Hendrik’s team. It was enough to keep them from falling into a hole or a crack on the floor, but to Fahz who was further behind that light, the situation seemed less than ideal.</p><p>“Why do I never learn to carry spares.” He muttered to himself, though Del’s arm sneaking under his told him that wasn’t lost on the other man.</p><p>“We could have my lancer’s light on too.” Del offered in a light tone. “Doubt it’ll make that much of a difference, energy-wise.”</p><p>“You don’t know how long we’ll have to stay here.” Fahz found his touch comforting, and kept his arm where it was. “I’m fine for now, really.”</p><p>“Okay.” Del didn’t question him further, and Fahz was grateful for it.</p><p>It seemed like they were walking for hours, the biting chill always a step behind them; clearly, the size of the tunnel alone was part of the reason.</p><p>“There must be another opening somewhere.” Marcus said at one point. “It’s creating the air flow.”</p><p>“It is getting warmer though. And look.” Hendrik said, then pointed his flashlight up and to the sides of the tunnel. “That’s what I’m talking about everyone!”</p><p>He sounded more excited than Fahz had ever heard him so far, so he followed the path of the flashlight.</p><p>Even if blurred up, he could see various reflections, akin to metallic rainbows in the path of the light.  A low cheer passed through the geologist team.</p><p>“Osmium.” Marcus huffed out. “Lots of it, by the looks of it.”</p><p>“The damn worm ate right through it, huh.” Someone from the team added up. “Toughest stuff we got, and it’s still not given it indigestion?”</p><p>“We still don’t know it was a worm that made this.” Marcus added, although he seemed unconvinced. “We best mark this spot somehow.”</p><p>“Yeah, Pirlouit and Freeman – write up the time and the coordinates.” Hendrik lifted a hand in the air. “Take a breather folks, fifteen minutes. Don’t get too comfortable though, we’re not staying here any longer than that.”</p><p>“I’ll drink to it.” Fahz huffed, and followed JD’s example of sitting down on the floor. “At least one good thing to come up after all this buggery.”</p><p>“I know, right? Seems almost impossible by now.” JD opened a protein bar, and handed it to Fahz. “Eat up, and don’t forget to have some water too.”</p><p>“Mmm I am hungry actually.” Fahz bit into the bar, noting he rather liked the taste. JD must’ve picked one he favored, even if he didn’t check the writing on the package. “How much farther do you think we’ll have to go?”</p><p>“Maybe until we find out where the tunnel leads to?” Del sat next to them, and took a long sip of his canteen. “Could be better than sitting around doing nothing.”</p><p>“And waiting for something to find us.” Fahz didn’t specify that it could be either Baird’s reinforcements, or the Swarm. They all knew it.</p><p>“Exploring the tunnel could reveal more Osmium deposits too.” JD was also chewing on an energy bar now. Fahz could smell cherries, which didn’t surprise him considering JD’s sweet tooth.</p><p>For a while, they were all silent, watching as Hendrik marked one of the walls with phosphorescent white spray paint; the marks looked almost like glyphs to Fahz, but he supposed they made sense to people who’d more or less had to make their way underground for a living.</p><p>“Alright, let’s keep moving.” Marcus stood up first and the others followed, Fahz noting how nobody complained this time.</p><p>Finding more than just traces of Osmium seemed to have lifted their spirits at least some.</p><p>And going away from the cold was still the better idea, so they walked.</p><p>It was during the third walk after a break cycle, that Fahz finally stopped by the medic for some much needed painkillers.</p><p>They’d been walking further than he could keep track of, the tunnel occasionally twisting and turning, steadily inclining downward. It put a strain on his back and the site of his injury, and he surely hoped soon they could rest for longer.</p><p>As they walked on, he felt the pain subside; even his eyes had adjusted better to the limited light, and he no longer felt the impending headache from straining to see more clearly.</p><p>Still, it took him a while to notice the change in the scenery; but when he did, it actually made him stop in his tracks.</p><p>“Wow…” JD muttered next to him, while looking up and around them.</p><p>“Is that…” Del was next to speak, though he didn’t finish the question.</p><p>“It was a worm, alright.” He said instead, instantly reminded of the sight he’d seen at the aptly named Riftworm village.</p><p>Ribs were outlined in the walls of the tunnel; massive, seemingly ancient, forming arcs into the dark rock.</p><p>“Huh, they’re even fossilized.” Hendrik remarked, and Fahz noted he was kneeling next to a piece of a rib that had fallen unknown time ago, a pointed shape near the wall. He shone a flashlight on it, and the broken end glimmered up, sending reflections throughout the cave. “Opalescent, almost like the Osmium had been deposited into the bones as it ate it. Hmmm…”</p><p>“Worth thinking on, huh.” Marcus added, and came closer to Hendrk, also examining the broken off rib. “Baird would’ve liked to see this.”</p><p>“I bet.” Hendrik got up, and dusted off his knees. “Let’s mark this up as well. Actually, know what – rest time everyone. Seems like a good place to stay at for now.”</p><p>“Some of us will keep watch, the others sleep, then we rotate shifts.” Marcus said in turn. “And keep quiet. Sound travels far in here.”</p><p>True to his words, there was a light echo that had been a companion of their footsteps the whole way so far.</p><p>But Fahz was yet to hear anything else aside from the noise they made, and the occasional drip drop of unseen water.</p><p>Putting his rifle on the ground next to him, Fahz sat down and leaned against one of the ribs, feeling grateful that at least they were deep enough that it was no longer cold.</p><p>He realized he’d been dozing off when Del’s footsteps startled him out of it, and he looked up.</p><p>“A little something for you.” Del was handing him a bowl of soup, and yeah, maybe he’d been sleeping for longer than not. Since somebody had also wrapped a blanket around his shoulders at one point.</p><p>Del joined him, their legs pressed against each other.</p><p>Sipping on the soup in silence, Fahz struggled to remain awake.</p><p>“Think I’ll fall asleep again soon.” He said in-between gulps of the surprisingly delicious broth, the ache in his stomach currently too distant for him to focus on.</p><p>“That’s okay. JD and Marcus will take the first watch.” Del wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and half snuggled underneath the blanket as well. “We can catch some shuteye.”</p><p>“Hey Del…” Putting the empty bowl to the side, Fahz waited until he got Del’s attention.</p><p>“Yep?”</p><p>Fahz leaned over and gave him a light kiss, feeling his smile under his lips.</p><p>“Thanks. For everything.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>***</p>
<hr/><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He didn’t tend to dwell much in the past. No good came out of that.</p><p>But he couldn’t stop thinking that there was an allure in the open, vast and deadly beauty of the desert, one that had made his heart ache from the moment he’d stepped foot there again, after the long awaited end of the war. Either war.</p><p>Vasgar had brought many conflicting emotions within him, no small amount of regret too. There was no point to try and think what might have happened if he’d done things differently, as for now, he was not the man he’d been back then.</p><p>Yet settling, in a way, even if that being the one of a drifter, had made him grow fond of the crimson sands and the heat of the day; the chill of the night keeping at his back, a fireplace to moor them all in a bay of light. Indigo black skies filled with so many stars, endless constellations glimmering back at him the way they’d always had, no matter who had gazed upon them before. Or when.</p><p>He’d been needed there, followed. As it often happened, he just knew how to make people do things efficiently, and they’d actually liked that quality in him well enough to stay. To build families so far away from everyone else, perfectly content to be right where they were.</p><p>What could be another lifetime had passed in those now near twenty five years. He ached more and grew to see time further put its mark on his skin, something that had been denied to many. He had begun to believe that maybe that had been it; and even if it were, he’d grown content to it.</p><p>Despite how good the desert had been at showing him that nothing lasts forever.</p><p>And when change had come, he couldn’t but feel… distraught. Uprooted, although he’d never planned to grow roots in the first place.</p><p>A sigh escaped his lips, the cool wind ruffling the edges of his shirt. Even the cold felt different now.</p><p>“Thought I might find you here.”</p><p>He closed his eyes for a moment, but didn’t move from his spot. The morning air was crisp and slightly dewy, and the sky had just began to bloom in rose shades. He couldn’t hear another sound for miles away.</p><p>“Just sit and be quiet.” He huffed, glancing over to Baird who had just come up through the same ladder he had used earlier.</p><p>“Technically that latch should’ve been locked but…” Still, Baird didn’t speak further. Instead, he sat down on the narrow ledge next to him, pulling the brown jacket he wore tighter around his chest.</p><p>The rooftop of the citadel gleamed dimly even in the faint light of dawn, but the copper and brass was far from his reason to be here in the morning.</p><p>It was the highest place in New Ephyra, giving him a scenic view of the entire Jacinto plateau. On his left, the ruins of Old Ephyra rose jagged from the mist-shrouded lands; but aside from them, it was hills ahead as far as the eye could see.</p><p>“Did you hear anything from them?” He finally asked, knowing that Baird’s been on edge for days now, and with a good reason. Looking over at him again, he noticed the barely there shake of the head, the way Baird kept his eyes downcast.</p><p>“No calls, nothing’s passed the Condor’s contact hub either.” Baird rest his hands on the ledge, glimpsing down at the ground several stories bellow. “But one of our satellites caught something.”</p><p>“Keep the suspense, will you.” Paduk rolled his eyes a bit, but waited still. He didn’t think Baird had come bringing bad news today – at least, that’s not how he’d expected him to do that.</p><p>“There was seismic activity detected in the mountain area they were meant to reach.” This time, Baird looked back at him. “Exactly at the research station’s coordinates.”</p><p>“A new hive?” Paduk frowned. “You said there were no burial sites nearby.”</p><p>“None that we made, yeah. But you know they’ve been spreading like damn disease, everywhere and anywhere again.” Baird’s next move surprised him enough to have him keep silent. But he wrapped an arm around his friend’s shoulders still, letting him rest against his chest. “We have to go find them.”</p><p>“I can go, with some of my people.” Paduk had been itching to get out of the restrictive cradle of this city for months, that was without a doubt. But he’d learned to read Baird well enough to know when he was really worried. “And your robots. Jack for example.”</p><p>“So you do like him after all.” Baird gave him a light shove, though they both remembered exactly where they were sitting right now. “And I would be grateful. But this time, I’m coming along too.”</p><p>“Seriously?” Paduk hummed, glancing back at the horizon, where the sun was steadily illuminating the outline of the hills. “I thought you were busy enough in here.”</p><p>“It’s my family we’re talking about.” Baird sounded somber, but quickly gave one of his customary smirks to Paduk. “I have to do something.”</p><p>“Well, you know I’ll never say no to one more fight by your side.” Chuckling to himself, he gave Baird a pointed look. “If you’re up for it.”</p><p>“Of course I’m up to it… It’s just…”It was rare that he saw Baird struggle to find the words he needed, but here they were. “I hope there won’t be the need to fight, at least this time. Unrealistic, I know.”</p><p>“Eh, you never know for sure.” He watched the first glimpse of the sun peek over the curves of the land, sending a ray of light through the few wayward clouds. “Let’s do this, so you can finally be rid of the damn monsters. My people miss the desert.”</p><p>“As do you, I feel.”</p><p>Baird’s perception really could cut deep when he wanted it to, as he kept reminding Paduk.</p><p>“Can you blame me?” He finally said, sighing against Baird’s side. “Not that you didn’t try, with the four poster bed and the bathtub and the lot of everything else in here.”</p><p>“Hahahah yeah, I never thought that those will sway you.” Baird’s laughter seemed to lift ten years of his shoulders, even now, even in the situation they’d yet again found themselves in. “But it’s been nice, to have breakfast together again, hasn’t it?”</p><p>“It has.” He was getting too old to lie, or have a point to it at least. Sometimes, one’s strength came from opening his heart, not guarding it. “Not to say, you shouldn’t visit Vasgar ever again. People do find some of your inventions rather handy.”</p><p>“Well, I’ll keep that in my planner then.” Sounding more serious than not, Baird caught his gaze again. “I want to make sure this never happens again. That we’re the last to see this damn war, for real this time around.”</p><p>“Sometimes, trying your hardest is all you can do.” He didn’t wish to say things to Baird he knew might not happen. Even if they’d be a comforting lie. People had been on the verge of ending wars before he was even born, and yet here they were again.</p><p>“I know.” Baird swayed his legs over the edge absentmindedly, seemingly content to watch the sunrise by his side for a while longer. “Thank you. For not saying it’s my duty to make sure it ends.”</p><p>“Only you can pick something to call a duty.” That, Paduk could say for sure. It was a lesson he’d learned alright. “Let anyone else do it for you, and things never end well.”</p><p>“I can’t make amends for the mistakes of people I’ve never even known. But I want to do it, for my family. For everyone still here with us, still fighting on.”</p><p>“And maybe you will get to.” He didn’t have much faith left, after a lifetime spent on the battlefield. But Baird was one of the few people who’d carved themselves a place in his heart, and that came with certain privileges. “I might even still be around to see it, who knows.”</p><p>“You best be.” Baird slapped his arm lightly in mock offense, though Paduk didn’t doubt the sincerity of his words. “You got to see my son grow up. There’s still time for grandchildren too.”</p><p>“Please.” Paduk barked out a short laugh, realizing he might not be that terribly opposed to the idea after all… “You do know half of the tribe’s children call you grandpa, right?”</p><p>“That’s fine by me, but you know. Could always have more.”</p><p>Ever since they’d come from Vasgar, Paduk’s people had made good use of the empty rooms in Baird’s mansion, by his insistence.</p><p>He’d worried, about coming to live in the city, even if temporarily; after all, their community had been focused on living closely to each other’s for a long time now.  Even if that inevitably came with its difficulties and strained moments.</p><p>Being scattered up would’ve taken something from them, that even moving to another land hadn’t been able to.</p><p>But he needn’t have worried after all. They could gather in some of the mansion’s large living rooms, or the kitchen; share mealtimes and work schedules and overall feel just as at home as they had amidst the desert sands.</p><p>It wasn’t quite the same, there was no doubt to that. But much like everything else in life, the nomad’s life meant taking this as just another step of the journey, something temporary; a shelter from the storm.</p><p>They would get to move on again, one day.</p><p>That could be months, or years ahead. He couldn’t say.</p><p>As long as the Swarm kept about, there was no foreseeable future elsewhere for anyone. So they’d fought and then they’d joined forces with Baird and the COG; to do what they always did best, to survive.</p><p>Whatever the future held, they would get to see, down the road.</p><p>“Should we go have breakfast and go over the plan?” Baird’s words brought him back to the present moment. The sun shone brightly, he could even hear a bird song somewhere nearby.</p><p>“Yeah, let’s do that.” Turning to him, he accepted the hand Baird had outstretched his way. Together, they climbed back over the short railing and to the maintenance shaft he’d used to get up here in the first place, beginning the slow descend downwards.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>~Cold and lonely without you<br/>   Don't know if I can make it through<br/>Maybe you'll hear this song<br/>  You've been gone way too long<br/>Too good to let it go, too good to be true~</p>
<p>***</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>***</p>
<hr/>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey.” Del gently shook JD’s shoulder one more time, seeing him begin to stir awake. “It’s breakfast time.”</p>
<p>“Yeah that, save me some..” JD did his best to turn to the side, covering himself with the thin blanket.</p>
<p>Sitting back on his haunches, Del watched him for a long moment, waiting.</p>
<p>Eventually, JD pushed the blanket away, realization dawning on him.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” He said when he saw JD glance around quickly, reminded where they were. “Might not be much left, with how hungry everyone seems to be too.”</p>
<p>“I’m guessing I gotta get up now then….” JD huffed and sat up, yawning as he rubbed his eyes. Del saw him wince a bit as he accidentally brushed a finger against the bandage on his forehead, before blinking a couple of times and meeting his gaze. “Where’s Fahz?”</p>
<p>“The medic.” Del got up and offered his hand to JD, who took it and stood alongside him. “He’s ok, but in pain.”</p>
<p>“And you? Everything ok after yesterday?” JD slid an arm around his waist, using the distraction the give him a quick peck on the cheek, which made Del smirk.</p>
<p>“I am just fine, yeah. So are the others.” Frowning slightly, he traced JD’s brow gently. A bruise was forming under his injury, noticeable even in the low light around them. There was a solitary mining lamp placed in the center of the makeshift camp. “We need to take care of this.”</p>
<p>“Breakfast first. I’m actually feeling ravenous.” JD stretched his arms a bit, turning towards the people who had gathered in a semi-circle around a small gas burner. A pot was steaming over it.</p>
<p>“Yeah, let’s get to that then.” Del said, following in line with JD. He’d taken on patrolling after him, and a few monotone hours in a dark tunnel surely made him somewhat hungry too.</p>
<p>As they took the paper plates with their share of chunky stew that actually smelled pretty good, considering the situation, Del pulled on JD’s arm lightly, motioning to the place he’d roused him at.</p>
<p>JD just raised his brows but didn’t comment until they were away from everyone else again.</p>
<p>He could see that JD was also scanning the room for Marcus, and noted the relief in his expression when he caught sight of him near one the outer worm ribs alongside Hendrik.</p>
<p>“So, what’s going on then?” JD asked and sat down carefully, putting the plate in the cradle of his crossed legs.</p>
<p>Del sat next to him in a similar position, the blanket barely enough to keep the cold radiating from the floor at bay.</p>
<p>“There was some heated discussion earlier.” He said and took a bite of his food, not wanting for it to get cold.</p>
<p>“Huh, I must’ve somehow slept through that.” JD was also eating, though Del knew he had his attention. “What it was about?”</p>
<p>“What to do next.” Leaning back more comfortably, he lowered his voice. “The geologists want to explore the cave further. They think there might be more Osmium, that the worm is only the beginning of the lode.”</p>
<p>“I’m guessing dad ain’t too happy about that.” JD glanced over again, but Hendrik and Marcus seemed to have gone further away, obscured in shadows.</p>
<p>“He isn’t. But he also thinks we’re basically sitting ducks out here, until help arrives.” Del added, recalling the earlier conversation.</p>
<p>“Yeah, he never was quite the one for sitting things out.” JD chewed thoroughly for a while, seemingly considering something before speaking. “But he’s probably worried about what waits deeper in too.”</p>
<p>“Nothing good’s happened to him underground, so you can hardly blame him.” Del shrugged, and leaned a bit into JD. Despite their armor, he could feel his warmth where their arms pressed together.  “But there’s more to it than that.”</p>
<p>“Such as what, I thought we already pulled all the bad cards.” Shaking his head, JD gathered the last of his food with his spoon, cleaning up the plate.</p>
<p>“The geologists say there might be secondary collapses. Even if help does come…”</p>
<p>“It might be too late.” JD frowned, and Del traced his gaze to the people around. There were easily at least thirty of them. The odds weren’t good for staying stranded in a cave for long.</p>
<p>“So figuring out if there’s another exit from the system somewhere is a necessary risk.” Del knew Marcus and Hendrik were likely discussing whether to move everyone together or to split. Both options had their good and bad sides.</p>
<p>“These tunnels can go on for miles, just like the Locust ones. And we have injured people.” JD and him both worried about Fahz, but since the collapse, he hadn’t been the only one struggling to walk. Making them move ahead when it could turn out to be a futile effort seemed cruel.</p>
<p>But leaving them behind was risky as well.</p>
<p>“We’ll probably end up making stretchers or so.” Del mused, although he still felt powerless. Their survival depended the most on when Baird could send in the rescue party. For their own rescue, this time around. “Cause if the Swarm does catch up on our trail…”</p>
<p>“It’s not good.” JD sighed, his hand resting on the grip of his pistol. They had ammunition and rifles alright, but in closed quarters, nothing was certain. A single flock ambush would’ve been enough to likely kill them all, Del knew well.</p>
<p>“We’re gonna figure it out though. We have to.” Del threw an arm over JD’s shoulders, trying to cheer him up somehow.</p>
<p>He needed it too, that spark of confidence JD had which could let Del believe they’ll come out on the other side of anything in their path. It’s how they’d fought on from the start, how he could push his own fear at bay and face the enemy time after time.</p>
<p>“Marcus and Delta have made it through much worse, we can’t disappoint in turn now, right?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” JD looked at him with a small smile, before glancing down quickly. “Whatever happens, that knife stays on you, alright?”</p>
<p>Del followed his gaze to the combat knife holstered on his thigh, the opposite one to where his pistol was. JD had one too.</p>
<p>In fact, they also shared identical tattoos from a couple of months now; a pair of crossed knives under a laughing skull.</p>
<p>It was their way of commemorating what had happened on that day, before the Kraken fight.</p>
<p>Of surpassing death, of making it out despite what the grotesque monstrosity wearing Reyna’s face had tried to do them. Del had been set free, and JD had lived on through his father’s nanotechnology, but the scars of that moment still ached, the pain beyond simply physical hurt.</p>
<p>“Of course.” Del said simply, remembering the promise he’d made.</p>
<p>The knives stayed on at all times they were out and fighting. No one would get to take them from each other again – they’d do anything they could to prevent it from happening.</p>
<p>Whenever he looked in the bathroom mirror, Del would catch himself tracing the slightly raised lines of the tattoo on his bicep, the vow sealed with ink and blood.  </p>
<p>“And what are you two lovely people doing so far out here?” Fahz’s cheery voice had him look up, seeing the smile on his face. He looked tired, but a bit more lively than earlier when Del had helped him get up and go to the medic.</p>
<p>His injury hadn’t worsened thankfully, but he had gotten another round of IV painkillers. Outstretching a hand to him, he smiled in turn as Fahz brushed against his fingers before carefully sitting down next to him.</p>
<p>“Having a rather tense conversation topic over breakfast.” JD answered, though his tone was light. “You heard the commotion earlier?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I wasn’t sleeping very deeply.” Fahz had also picked up a plate with food, and now focused on it.</p>
<p>“What do you think, about going forth I mean.” Clearing his throat, JD seemed unusually tentative. Del couldn’t blame him; he too would’ve tried to word a question like that carefully, considering Fahz’s condition.</p>
<p>“I’mma just follow orders mate. If they say we gotta walk, we walk. If we gotta sit and defend the camp, that’s what we’re gonna do.” Fahz said with a shrug. “I don’t think either would be particularly pleasant, but we’re Gears, right? We’ll do what we have to.”</p>
<p>“Sometimes, I really wish I had your attitude towards certain things.” Del sighed slightly, knowing he wouldn’t stop worrying about what’s the ‘right choice’ regardless of what Marcus and Hendrik came up with.</p>
<p>“I’m not saying I’d prefer it if Baird took his sweet time with this.” Fahz looked at him this time, though he still didn’t seem perturbed. “But since it’s more or less out of our hands at this point, to do more than survive, what’s the point of overthinking it.”</p>
<p>“You’re right.” JD added. “Some rescue mission this turned out to be then, huh.”</p>
<p>“Hey, we gathered valuable intel with that strange flower. And found Osmium.” Del pointed out,  counting on his fingers. “Some good will come out it all.”</p>
<p>“Do you think, the storm’s still going  though?” Fahz’s question reminded them of the frostwind, and although they were out of its immediate reach, Del realized it might not be so for anyone attempting to close in on the camp’s old location.</p>
<p>“Let’s hope not.” JD said, and Del felt the small shiver which ran through him. “We can make it a few more days here, but if that valley we passed through gets too dangerous to pass, it’s not looking good.”</p>
<p>“And not only.” Del added. “Maybe we can leave a static beacon here though. Activate it remotely after a while, if we don’t find anything ahead. Or hear of the search and rescue.”</p>
<p>“That’s a good idea actually.” Fahz hummed. “Might be worth mentioning it to Marcus too.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I think I should do that.” Del reached for JD’s plate and stacked it over his own, before getting up. “You two stay here. Maybe it’s best to rest as much as possible for now.”</p>
<p>“Okay.” JD smiled at him and Fahz gave him thumbs up in turn, getting back to his breakfast.</p>
<p>Del was already thinking of a couple of ways he  might make a good beacon, although it meant sacrificing one of the radio transmitters in their armor.  Still, it could prove an important access point, if they found a way out in a different part of the tunnel.</p>
<p>He could only hope that the trip wouldn’t be in vain.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<hr/>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Baird, I thought you could drive this damn thing.” Paduk cursed in his mother tongue from the seat next to him, banging his fist against the co-pilot’s controller hub.</p>
<p>The Raven shook with another gush of wind, the panels before them blinking with various warnings; the front glass was frosted up, and nothing but murky, milk-colored light passed through.</p>
<p>“I can drive it if it’s not broken.” Baird was currently on his knees, nearly elbows deep into the wires that had spawned underneath a hatch he’d frantically opened a moment ago, trying to do the equivalent of jump starting a helicopter engine. “I don’t know what’s going on, this never happened before.”</p>
<p>“We still have a bit of time left, fix it and we won’t crash to our deaths.” Paduk said with the characteristic bite in his words, but Baird knew he was worried.</p>
<p>His fingers were growing numb as he desperately tried to unlatch the wires, but they had lock breakers for a reason; it was something he had implemented in the newer models. Trying to prevent them from breaking too easily when taking a hit.</p>
<p>Mentally cursing himself in for that decision in the moment, he finally hit the plastic switch with the back of his thumbnail, and reached to pry it open.</p>
<p>His breath was hanging in clouds around him, the cabin colder than he’d ever thought it should get.</p>
<p>“The storm wasn’t meant to be so far out south.” He hissed as the spark he was trying to make finally happened, and the arcid smell of burning wire insulation came through. “Try again.”</p>
<p>“It’s starting.” Paduk said after a moment, and the rhythmic thump-thump of the propellers shook the cabin. “And this would’ve never happened to a Gorasni bird. Freezing mid-flight, please…”</p>
<p>“You can fault COG engineering as much as you might want to any other time, but I don’t think it was on me this time around.” Baird said as he vaulted himself up and back into the seat, pressing a few buttons in an attempt to restart the nav sensors. They were their eyes and ears without clear visual, and although it wouldn’t be the first time he flied blind, he had to get some idea of where they’d ended up at. “We weren’t even high enough to have issues because of the air. This is something else.”</p>
<p>They’d found the Condor which Marcus and the rest of Delta had used to arrive past the Mount Kadar range; however, it didn’t show any signs of damage or any message the guys might’ve left them in case of an emergency.</p>
<p>It was a ghost bird, but Baird did leave a couple of Gears there to make sure nothing happened to it. The planes weren’t exactly disposable, not anymore; if they’d ever been. Resources were becoming scarce again, and Baird found himself more wary of keeping his tech intact than he’d been initially.</p>
<p>The squad of DeBees Marcus had assigned to guard the bird beforehand had reported sporadic Swarm sightings, but nothing the bots hadn’t been able to deal with quickly.</p>
<p>So the problem must’ve been at the research camp, much like the others.</p>
<p>“Let me pilot, please.” Jack’s low timbre sounded behind him, and Baird looked up. “My altitude sensors report we’re too low. We’re going to crash.”</p>
<p>“As in, right now, or if he doesn’t let you drive.” Paduk frowned, though Baird was already out of his seat, making way for Jack. There were some things he trusted him with, and now was such a case.</p>
<p>“Our chances are a bit better, but I suggest the two of you suit up.” Jack sounded calm, although Baird had never heard him sound otherwise.</p>
<p>He had finally agreed on implementing a voice module after he was assigned on more squads alongside people, and communication such as that had been key between them. But at times, he was still caught off guard to actually hear him say anything.</p>
<p>Picking up one of the packs which were secured to the wall, he handed it to Paduk, before reaching to get one of his own.</p>
<p>“I thought we weren’t going to need these things now.” Still, Paduk connected it to the back of his armor, sighing at the sight of the breathing mask.</p>
<p>“You never know.” Baird did the same, and sat in one of the seats connected to the side of the Raven, before securing himself with the straps hanging from it.</p>
<p>“Just do it please. We’ve gone off course, and I think there’s a lake underneath us. The ice might not hold.”  Jack added.</p>
<p>“As you say.” With one last dismissive glance in Jack’s direction, Paduk sat on the opposite side of Baird, the low, crash-safety seat snug around his body. “And Baird?”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” He said, mask in hand.</p>
<p>“See you on the other side.” With that, Paduk pressed the mask against his face, grunting as the breathing tube passed down through his throat and into the trachea.</p>
<p>Baird did the same, closing his eyes at the momentary pain. Despite the present anesthetic, those things were still uncomfortable.</p>
<p>Trying to get his breathing back on track, he could hear the distressed alarms sounding through from the Raven’s control panel again.</p>
<p>He could just about make out Jack’s powerful arms from the sides of the seat, and hoped whatever happened, they’d all be fine.</p>
<p>They had to be.</p>
<p>Family to save and all.</p>
<p>Looking ahead, he met Paduk’s eyes.</p>
<p>There was a moment of weightlessness, and he realized the Raven’s engine had given up again.</p>
<p>No way of fixing it now.</p>
<p>This was it.</p>
<p>When the loud wail of the crash followed, there was no pain. But darkness edged up on the sides of his vision, dimming  the overcast day’s light, before blocking it out completely.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I know some peeps are following/reading this story, so if you do, remember it's kind to leave a comment in turn!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>His heart hammered wildly in his chest, feeling like a loud beat in his ears, an insistent pressure becoming a focal point of his consciousness.</p>
<p>Coughing again, he sat up, trying to pull air in his lungs and find his sense of equilibrium. His throat ached.</p>
<p>He dimly noted that he was cold, his clothes were drenched and the ground beneath him was hard and uneven.</p>
<p>But none of that seemed to bother him much, which made a note of concern ring in his head.</p>
<p>“Are you alright?” A pale face appeared in his field of vision; the ghostly blue eyes uncanny in dark. “I had to administer a stim solution to prevent hypothermia.”</p>
<p>“Oh that hits hard…” Leaning back on his arms, Paduk felt another wave of energy surging through his body; it was almost like a spike of adrenaline, but not quite. His senses felt sharpened with hyperawareness that still had him feeling almost detached from his body. “Where is Baird?”</p>
<p>Looking around, he noticed the prone form on the ground next to him; a pang of fear momentarily crossing his mind.</p>
<p>“I was just about to get to him too.” Jack shuffled on his knees, one hand holding onto the emergency stim-pen, before he slammed it against Baird’s thigh.</p>
<p>It had been quite a while since Paduk last used the cocktail of boosters and chemical enhancers the COG issued during some missions, and the effect was even stronger than what he remembered. Not exactly something you were meant to abuse, sure; but it definitely helped when things were dire and a soldier needed a pick-me-up from a tight spot.</p>
<p>Baird jerked awake in the next instant, sitting up shakily, like a puppet with cut strings. Paduk couldn’t really blame him.</p>
<p>Once the realization that his friend was alive had fully settled, he allowed himself to take a better look at their surroundings.</p>
<p>On the light of the flashlight built into Jack’s armor, he could see that they were in some sort of a narrow cave, the ceiling not much more than a person’s height. The place was damp, and he could see the reflection of water dancing over the jagged rock.  </p>
<p>“Fuck me…” Baird rubbed his face with a hand, before looking at Paduk. “I think I’m getting way too old for this shit.”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah, sure, look who’s talking.” Huffing to himself, Paduk had to admit that he did find some additional benefit of using the stim: he definitely felt about twenty years younger, or at least his joints surely did. For now, that was.</p>
<p>“Okay, maybe I didn’t pick the right audience for this.” Patting over himself, Baird seemed content to note that his boltok and utility belt were still in place. “Jack, what happened? Where the hell are we?”</p>
<p>“The Raven crashed, remember?” Jack was currently opening what seemed to be a light, reflecting blanket, before giving it to Paduk who took it with a slightly shaky hand. “I tried to steer it away, but we still ended up in the lake.”</p>
<p>“So I didn’t hit my head too hard then, ‘cause I remember that.” Baird hurriedly took the next blanket, and wrapped it around himself snuggly. “But we’re not in a lake now, as much as I might be stating the obvious here.”</p>
<p>Only then Paduk noticed the small switch at the end of the blanket, which connected to a bulky canister. Baird clicked it open, so he followed his example, suddenly feeling the warmth engulfing him underneath the thin fabric. That was something new.</p>
<p>“We’re not. I would place us somewhere underneath the lake, to be precise.” Jack shrugged his shoulders; distantly, Paduk could make out a faint whirling sound. The bot seemed to have his own way of drying out then.</p>
<p>“Underneath the lake?” Baird lifted his eyebrows, his expression unbelieving.</p>
<p>“The ice was not enough to hold the weight of the helicopter, which sank to the bottom really quickly.” Jack’s tone remained calm, and Paduk felt mildly curious again, since the bot’s voice was more pleasant and human-like than he’d ever think possible. He really was nothing like the rest of Baird’s DB’s. “It was going to be risky, to bring back one of you to the surface and return for the other. And chance was, that making it out underneath the rest of the ice would end up with death.”</p>
<p>“So you somehow brought us here… And now what?” Baird crossed his legs; steam escaped from underneath the blanket.</p>
<p>“My scan had revealed this was a part of a cave system, which I plan to explore further for a way out.” Jack motioned to the side, and Paduk noticed the weapons stacked against the wall.</p>
<p>A Lancer and his Markza along with a dark duffel bag, the contents of which were unknown to him.</p>
<p>“I have your weapons, if we encounter any enemies. If there is no other way, I could risk swimming to the top of the lake again, to carry you out. Once the weather is no longer freezing everything on the spot.” Jack explained patiently. If it hadn’t been for his assistance, Paduk knew that both he and Baird would’ve been dead now.</p>
<p>“Yeah, that storm which brought down the Raven.” Baird nodded in agreement. “Paduk, I’ve never seen anything like it. The temperatures dropping so far down… If the same thing has hit the base, it could be why we hadn’t heard anything from them.”</p>
<p>“Are they equipped to handle it?” Admittedly, the storm had been much worse than what they’d expected. He’d never quite had to face such weather in the sky before, despite some of the cold places he’s been deployed to during Pendulum.</p>
<p>“Should be, after all I sent out equipment meant for the mountains. And we didn’t know how long they’d need to stay there, it could’ve easily been until winter if they did find Osmium.” Baird cleared his throat, and shuffled about for a moment, before drinking out of the flask he’s pulled out. “Damn stim sure makes you parched though.”</p>
<p>“That it does.” Paduk reached for his own canteen, but didn’t drink right away. “So it seems to me that we have to focus on ourselves now. Make it out of here somehow.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Baird sighed, and pulled the duffel bag closer, inspecting its contents. “We can stay here a bit longer, do a weapons check. Jack, scout ahead, but carefully. If something happens to you, we’d be in a pretty tight spot.”</p>
<p>“Roger.” Jack got up in a single motion, more gracefully than his size would suggest possible. His head nearly reached the ceiling.</p>
<p>In the next moment, he disappeared, a glimmer of light reflecting around them before dimming out.</p>
<p>“Ugh.” Baird shuffled his blanket again, before the light returned – he’d turned on his own armor’s flashlight. Jack was still gone.</p>
<p>“I see you’ve implemented our cloaking mechanism on him.” Paduk mentioned, reminded of the Nomad woman who had fashioned it out of some old parts found across the Vasgar research stations.</p>
<p>“It proved quite useful, yeah.” Baird pulled out a dark bottle and a rag from the duffel, both seemingly miraculously dry, before picking up his lancer. “But it’s energy consuming, and not many others can afford to have it on as long as Jack.”</p>
<p>“Is Melike getting along with Cole’s daughter?” Once they had settled into New Ephyra, he’d offered Baird to maybe have a talk with their resident tech expert. After all, their people hadn’t made it out in the desert for so long without having some mechanical skills. And Melike was quite smart, having been the one to come up with the cloaking tech.</p>
<p>“They get along quite well, surprisingly enough.” Baird smirked as he swiftly disassembled his weapon. “From what I hear, they’re already chatting up without the translation module.”</p>
<p>“It’s good to have her… potential be more focused now.” Honestly, Paduk hadn’t missed the chatter. There was only as much as he could take sometimes.</p>
<p>“Hey, she is in the right place now. We could use all the extra brain power on this whole Swarm mess.” There was definitely a note of relief in Baird’s voice.</p>
<p>Paduk knew he had been working day and night to make sure that New Ephyra held out; their secure bastion amidst the deadly horror of those monsters. But he was also trying to find a way to destroy them, and that could put a damn big strain on anyone’s shoulders.</p>
<p>“So you’re in contact with them too?” He tried to sound nonchalant as he picked his rifle, deciding to follow Baird’s example and clean up the weapon. Despite that the Markza was the kind of gun that could withstand pretty much anything, he’d rather be safe than sorry.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I update them with what we know weekly.” Baird didn’t look up from his work, though Paduk could notice him pausing for a moment. “I also sent them samples from what we found in the Bunker.”</p>
<p>“You sure that’s wise?” Taking a rag, he dabbed some oil on it before bringing it down to the dark metal in a practiced motion, finally feeling the drug-induced jitters in his hands begin to die down.</p>
<p>“At this point, I do. We can’t afford to make the same mistake the COG did before.” Baird pulled the rifle back together with a deft motion, a series of smooth clicks echoing slightly across the narrow cave. “We can’t just hole up somewhere and clutch our data close like it’s the family’s pearls. Who knows, it could be them that finally find the way to end the Swarm.”</p>
<p>“Who is running the show now? Is it still Trescu?” He hadn’t cared to find out before; after all, he had promised himself not to return, not to them at least. He’d been marked a traitor in the eyes of many, and even if he’d probably outlived most of those people, Gorasnya wasn’t a home he could come to expecting a warm welcome.</p>
<p>“His son actually.” Baird paused at that, and Paduk looked up at him. “Miran Trescu died a few years ago.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” Suppose part of living in the middle of a desert did mean he got news late. And yet… He remembered Miran, the sporadic, often fateful moments in which life had made their paths cross. There were many things he might’ve thought about the man, but in a way, he hadn’t expected him to be the first one to go.</p>
<p>“I went there, actually. To the funeral.” Baird had mentioned keeping up with his Gorasni friends before, so maybe them extending that kind of courtesy shouldn’t have surprised Paduk. “Kind of left the diplomacy to others, but I still got a few words in with Damir. Even now, he seems to be doing all he can for his people.”</p>
<p>“Then maybe he will be the leader his father never was.” Sighing, Paduk reassembled the Markza, lost in thought. “Is it true, that the capital is now in the middle of a lake?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, Grom. It’s quite impressive honestly, even to me.” Picking the pistol next, Baird still glanced at him occasionally, taking the weapon apart without even looking at his hands. “Aside from it being massive, they’ve succeeded in making it a stable, but floating construction despite the windflares.”</p>
<p>“So like a giant barge then?” Paduk had wondered, sometimes. About seeing his homeland again, seeing what people had done to rebuild it by now. He’d always promised himself to go there one day, despite the feeling that nothing could be the same, not after so long.</p>
<p>Ever since he’d left it as smoldering ruin in pursue of the Locust, of getting to the COG’s technology he thought could destroy them, he’d known it will never be quite the same.</p>
<p>But maybe it would be enough still, maybe it was more than not crossing the same river twice.</p>
<p>And he might get to find out after all, some day.</p>
<p>“A giant fortress I’d say. Not as large as New Ephyra, but higher. The complexity of their agricultural sections and the power generators surprised me, even though I had given them the plans and tools for part of those.” Baird shook his head lightly at that. “They’d gathered everyone from the UIR’s lands. Between us and them, there’s not a single settlement left.”</p>
<p>“So again, the points of the world converge to the same old names, huh.” Paduk did think it was ironic, especially after so long.</p>
<p>“I’m glad you came to us though.” Baird put the weapon down, his tone surprisingly open and sincere. “I know it’s… complicated, with you and them. But still.”</p>
<p>“It’s simple really.” Paduk smirked, though the decision had been anything but easy to make at the time. “I came to the place that I had a friend in.”</p>
<p>“I hope you don’t regret it.” Baird returned his smirk, raising a brow.</p>
<p>“Don’t push it.” Paduk looked away at that, trying to not let his amusement show. Considering where they were right now, Baird still had to ask…</p>
<p>“Let’s see if Jack comes back with good news at least.” Shrugging the blanket away, Baird bunched it up and put it back in the duffel bag, before holstering his weapons. “He’s been gone for a while.”</p>
<p>“I’m fine with him doing the legwork, that’s what he’s for.” Still not parting with the comfort of his own blanket, Paduk rested the Markza over his thighs before taking a long drink of water. He could hear the low sound of their breaths, but no footsteps or anything else nearby.</p>
<p>Either the bot was still far, or he could be quieter than what Paduk expected.</p>
<p>“Hey, he’s more than just for that.” Baird remarked dryly. “You know how long he’s been around us for.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I know.” Waving him off, Paduk kept drinking in silence. He still felt ready to fight, so the stim was holding, which was good. The journey ahead of them would could end up being quite longer than expected, with this new ‘detour’.</p>
<p>Losing the Raven too, though he did feel somewhat safer on solid ground.</p>
<p>“I believe we can find our way out of here.” Jack’s voice echoed slightly in the cavern, and with a glimmer, he appeared at the small entrance of the tunnel.</p>
<p>“Jack!” Baird sounded a bit startled, turning away from the bag he’d just zipped. “That’s good then, what did you see?”</p>
<p>“Mining signs.” Jack reached to take the duffel bag, slinging it over his shoulder with ease. “There’s a system of tunnels connected to this one, definitely man-made.”</p>
<p>Paduk shared a look with Baird. They both knew that mines were bad luck nowadays.</p>
<p>“Any signs of Swarm activity? Or Locust for that matter?” Baird asked, resting his hands on his hips.</p>
<p>“Not that I could see. My scan didn’t detect anything either.” Jack explained. “The tunnels seem to have been abandoned a long time ago.”</p>
<p>“So you think we should give this a try. Even without a map of those tunnels?” Paduk wasn’t entirely convinced. From what he knew, mines could be like a labyrinth of interconnected shafts, and span on for miles on end.</p>
<p>“I should be able to go through any blockage we might encounter.” Jack shrugged his shoulders; if the gesture was something pre-programmed, or a mannerism he’d picked up from his human teammates, Paduk couldn’t say. “The rock here is dense, and I didn’t see structural damage in the tunnels I explored so far, so the odds are in our favor.”</p>
<p>“Alright then, let’s give it a try.” Baird outstretched an arm to Paduk, who grasped the offered hand and vaulted himself up quickly. “But keep ready for anything.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” He said simply, hand resting on the handle of his knife. He slung the Markza’s strap over his shoulder, the familiar weight of the old rifle giving him a sense of security, the way it had for decades throughout the wars.</p>
<p>Jack took point, and he was fine with it; let the bot scan up the path before them. He took the rear, and Baird was in the middle.</p>
<p>The tunnel which began from the small alcove they were in was narrow, and at places Paduk’s shoulders brushed against the uneven walls. The ceiling was low so they all walked hunched down, and he could see Jack turning sideways from time to time in order to pass through even tighter spots.</p>
<p>Their steps echoed ahead; if it were just him, Paduk knew he’d be quieter.</p>
<p>However, after several more minutes, they came to a chest-high barrier of fallen rock, which left barely enough space to squeeze through on the other side.</p>
<p>“This must have happened after the tunnels were dug. Once I passed through, I could see the mining signs.” Jack explained, before dropping the duffel bag through the opening, and moving to crawl over the rock and to the other side.</p>
<p>Once he was up, from what Paduk could see of the flashlight on his armor, Baird followed; and finally, it was his turn.</p>
<p>With one last glance behind himself, Paduk made it through the gap, Jack and Baird pulling him forward quickly.</p>
<p>And indeed, this tunnel definitely looked different. There were distinct marks of tools on the walls, and the shape was way too precise for it to have been a natural formation.</p>
<p>“Further down, there’s wood support beams too. But this part must’ve been near the end, or an abandoned lode because of the lake’s proximity.” Jack added, apparently noticing him observing the space.</p>
<p>“Let’s hope you’re right about this.” He shrugged, and started walking, this time falling in step with Baird, since the width of the tunnel permitted it. “I thought the COG had no mines this far.”</p>
<p>“Me neither, I couldn’t find anything official about this area.” Baird held his lancer, and walked in a moderate stride. “Satellite scans didn’t reveal anything either, but depending on the sediment density and the depth of the mine…”</p>
<p>“It’s not been very clear, I get it.” Huffing, Paduk fell silent for a moment, before speaking again. “I remember when the COG was pretty good in finding our bunkers with satellites. The government had to dig deep if they wanted something to be kept secret.”</p>
<p>“Concrete can show differently on satellite imaging.” Baird didn’t elaborate further, something which often happened whenever Paduk would touch down on the topic of the Pendulum wars. He knew Baird had been a pacifist at the time, but there was no true neutrality in war.</p>
<p>“This is the sign I found.” Jack got their attention, and Paduk saw the faded mark he was pointing to. It had likely been drawn with red paint in the past, which had now turned rusty red with time and corrosion. “It didn’t match anything I have in my database, of either Locust or human origin however.”</p>
<p>“I’m not that much of an expert about it, but whatever this is doesn’t look Locust to me either.” Baird rubbed a finger over one line of the mark, though from what Paduk could see, the paint didn’t flake or stain his hand. “There’ll probably be something more distinct up ahead. Let’s go.”</p>
<p>Leaving the sigil behind, they went on again.</p>
<p>For the most part, the tunnel kept straight on, with a few twists and turns so far; but it definitely seemed to follow a steady downward angle.</p>
<p>When they reached the first branch, Jack hesitated for a moment, before going right.</p>
<p>“How do you know, which path to take?” Despite his better judgment, Paduk decided to try and satisfy his curiosity.</p>
<p>“I ran a scan. There’s more tunnels on the right.” Jack answered without a hitch. “And they get larger.”</p>
<p>After about fifteen minutes, if his inner clock was correct, they came across the glimmer of glass. A broken pickaxe lay amidst the shattered fragments, the metal so rusted it appeared to have fused with the ground.</p>
<p>“It seems like iron ore.” Baird had crouched down next to the axe, checking the debris scattered around it. “I wonder if they’d abandoned the mine because it was spent, or there was something else going on.”</p>
<p>“Let’s hope we don’t find out.” Paduk said simply, following after Jack again.</p>
<p>Baird fell silent at that, and for a long while only the sound of their footsteps filled the air between them.</p>
<p>About four klicks ahead, and more tunnel branches than Paduk had cared to remember, they reached a sign nailed on a boarded up pathway.</p>
<p>The olive green of it had faded, but still spelled out legible initials.</p>
<p>“Nethercutt mining.” Baird sighed, rubbing his chin. “But without the logo. This mine must’ve really been dug a long time ago.”</p>
<p>“How long ago are we talking about?” He asked, eyeing up the boards behind the sign. The wood seemed dry, but there was no way to guess its actual state by just looking.</p>
<p>“Nethercutt was a family owned enterprise. For generations, I think. The name dates back to the founding families of Tyrus.” Baird said in turn. “So we could be looking at anywhere upward of two hundred years.”</p>
<p>“Considering the seismic activity on Sera, it is unlikely the tunnels are older, as they would have not remained intact for so long otherwise.” Jack added. “Even without the Locust disruption, Sera’s top crust has been prone to various collapses throughout history.”</p>
<p>“Thanks for the reminder Jack.”</p>
<p>Paduk could practically feel Baird rolling his eyes, the tone he spoke with familiar to a fault.</p>
<p>“It’s just what we needed to hear, while fuck knows how deep underground.” Baird added with a  sarcastic cheer. “Now, what do we do about this blockage.”</p>
<p>“My scan reveals our path continues on the other side of it.” With that, and seemingly no note of Baird’s earlier quip, Jack gripped one of the boards.</p>
<p>Paduk watched him take it out with ease, the wood making a barely there sound of protest as nails the length of a palm were pulled out along the plank as if they were nothing.</p>
<p>Making a quick work of the rest, Jack cleared up the blockage in less than a minute.</p>
<p>“I knew it was good luck to bring you along.” Baird said fondly, passing into the newly opened area.</p>
<p>“I’m always glad to assist.” Jack’s voice was just a tad louder, though it seemed to be the way he conveyed excitement.</p>
<p>If bots even did that.</p>
<p>Paduk still wasn’t quite sure what his feelings on the subject were. Yeah, he had watched the old Jack become a targeting beacon for the Hammer, apparently on his own volition; but he wasn’t entirely convinced of what the bot was really.</p>
<p>His appearance aside, Baird had said he is an AI now, which was fancy talk for an even more complicated computer.</p>
<p>As long as he got the job done, Paduk really didn’t care how far from a toaster he was. But at times, there truly was something uncomfortable in how similar he seemed to a human.</p>
<p>And he had to admit, Jack had been around for a long time. If nothing else, he’d definitely been useful. His new body seemed to carry on that legacy.</p>
<p>“Baird, we keep going deeper.” He noted after a while, feeling the strain in his shins. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”</p>
<p>“Well, Jack’s mapping our route so if we do end up in a dead end, we could always go back, right?” Baird did seem a tad concerned as well, but if it was due to being in the mine, or the time they’d waste which could’ve been spent getting closer to the geologist expedition, Paduk couldn’t say.</p>
<p>“Hmmm…” Jack paused for a moment, and they fell quiet behind him, senses on high alert. “There are traces of bioluminescence in this tunnel. Although I see no vegetation like the one found in the Hollow, which is known to emit these particles.”</p>
<p>“I don’t see anything.” Baird said while glancing around.</p>
<p>“Your eyes can’t detect it, not with the artificial light on.” Jack added. “But it’s of no concern. We can keep going.”</p>
<p>Paduk didn’t say anything at that, but he felt his heartbeat slowly return to normal as they continued walking. Eventually, the tunnel widened gradually, until the ceiling was a couple meters above their heads.</p>
<p>Entrances to other shafts connected on almost equal intervals, each marked with a series of glyphs which Jack inspected for a second.</p>
<p>Once they reached a large cavern with various tools stacked around haphazardly, more signs of human presence became evident.</p>
<p>There were caveats in the walls, with a couple of blankets which seemed so dusty, Paduk knew they would likely fall apart if he were to pick them up.</p>
<p>Charred marks on the floor indicated fire pits, and there was a rough map etched into the wall next to a pair of helmets still on their hooks.</p>
<p>“Woah, this place is massive.” Baird traced the map, seemingly trying to find some sort of a legend, or a mark as to their current location.</p>
<p>“We should be in this quadrant.” Jack pointed out an edge of the map which looked like the root system of a tree. “Look, this branch – it goes underneath the mountains, if the directions are accurate.”</p>
<p>“So if there is an exit along the way, it could place us closer to our goal.” Baird hummed to himself, seemingly lost in thought.</p>
<p>“These straight lines usually indicate ventilation shafts.” Jack pointed to several vertical incisions along the top part of the ‘tree’. “They are meant to reach all the way to the surface, and have ladders in them too.”</p>
<p>“A shortcut in a way.” Baird added. “Used in case of poisonous gas build-up. We could check it out, this here seems to be the closest one.”</p>
<p>“If we compare the scale to what we passed so far, it could take us at least another day to reach that point.” Jack said. “And that is if we find no obstructions along the way.”</p>
<p>“We can last a day.” Paduk shrugged his shoulders. “Might as well give it a try.”</p>
<p>In the meantime, Baird had pulled out a notepad from the duffel, and now carefully began sketching out the map.</p>
<p>“I have already scanned it.” Jack chimed in.</p>
<p>“I know big guy, but I like having analogue backups.” Baird said as he stepped closer to the wall, squinting his eyes.</p>
<p>“Forgot your glasses?” Paduk asked, noting that his friend’s affinity to goggles as an addition to his armor hadn’t changed.</p>
<p>“Ha-ha, sure.” Baird sighed lightly. “Not like they could’ve lasted the crash even if I did bring them.”</p>
<p>Paduk could feel a few sore spots over his trunk and arm, testament to the said crash and the weaning effect of the boosters. But overall they had gotten off easy, and the breathing masks had prevented the possibility of secondary drowning.</p>
<p>But whatever the ghost mine still had in score for them, remained to be seen.</p>
<p>“Can I have your compass for a sec?” Baird asked, and Paduk handed him the lidded, olive-green box from his utility belt, watching as he scribbled something on the side of his notepad. “Alright, here we go then.”</p>
<p>Returning the compass back in its place, Paduk waited for Baird to put away the notebook before picking one of the several exits in the cavern.</p>
<p>“That’s the one we need.” Baird added still, his voice echoing around.</p>
<p>He just followed silently, the dark passage before them revealing a few meters at a time from the limited range of their flashlights.</p>
<p>Eventually, he could see faint green flashes somewhere further down into the darkness, almost like those spots leftover from light when one closed their eyes. But they didn’t disappear, and he was quite certain they were not a projection.</p>
<p>“More bioluminescence.” Jack said in a heartbeat.</p>
<p>“I see it too, this time.” Paduk added.</p>
<p>After another hundred meters or so, it became clear that the light was emitted from some sort of a plant, which was growing on several jagged spots in the tunnel. It was misshapen, clinging into the cracks in the rock, looking almost like glowing seaweed.</p>
<p>“Never seen one like this before.” Baird poked it lightly with the muzzle of his lancer, making a nondescript sound of interest when the green glow transferred on the metal, almost akin to paint.</p>
<p>“My scan indicates this is a type of mushroom.” Jack touched the plant next, and Paduk could see the momentary electric blue glow passing somewhere underneath his ‘skin’. “There are several recorded fungi species in the hollow, but this one is new to me.”</p>
<p>“Is it toxic to be around it?” Paduk really felt like he was the only one with logical reactions to the foreign thing. Don’t touch the glowing mushrooms seemed pretty solid on his list.</p>
<p>“No, but it’s not edible either.” Jack proceeded to rip a piece of the fungi and put it in one of his belt pouches. “It would induce an unpleasant array of psychosis reactions when ingested by a human being.”</p>
<p>“You found that out from touching it?” He wasn’t quite convinced.</p>
<p>“Yes, I have specialized sensors integrated into my fingertips.” Jack lifted his hands at that, his fingers still glowing green.</p>
<p>“I’d trust him on that one.” Baird added with a long sigh. “At least we know why the tunnel glows, so that’s crossed off the list.”</p>
<p>“There was a list?” He asked, a hint of amusement in his tone.</p>
<p>“There’s always a list with me.” Baird grinned, before resuming his walk next to Jack.</p>
<p>For the next two hours, there was nothing noteworthy in the tunnel save for the occasional mushroom.</p>
<p>And even those were growing sparingly enough that once he could spot the glow in the distance, he’d focus on it until they reached it, before venturing on into the unassuming darkness once again.</p>
<p>“So is this anything like the Hollow you’ve told me about?” Paduk asked eventually, when his mind exhausted the random thoughts he’d entertained himself with so far. Since then, the tunnel had grown bigger, and he could see that only parts of it were refined and expanded artificially; the vaulted ceiling looked undisturbed, with long stalactites hanging down like inverted towers.</p>
<p>Occasionally, a drop of water would fall down, landing on his neck or face.</p>
<p>“Umm, not quite. But there is some similarity still.” Baird said. “The thing that made Hollow unique was that it was simply massive. A city could fit into it, and well, it did, in a way.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, the Locust city.” Paduk said gruffly. “Or was it really theirs?”</p>
<p>“Well, it did seem like they were building it, or at least the prisoners they’d captured.” Baird added. “But the complexity, the architectural design… It had me thinking, what if they were just copying something else they’d seen down there.”</p>
<p>“Possible.” He didn’t really care, not since all that had come to light about the Locust, the Swarm… They weren’t some sort of native creatures disturbed by mankind’s thirst for fuel and ore, they were no alien species either… What they were was his enemy’s hatred, their savageness, their bloody madness.</p>
<p>They were a being created by a man so unhinged, he believed himself a god. But it wasn’t his ideal which the creatures had taken shape in, no.</p>
<p>It was all those who had made it possible, the politicians and generals who had funded the secret project, wanting the perfect soldier, the most ruthless, yet controllable beast for them to lay waste to their enemies.</p>
<p>To his fellow countrymen, to all the people of the Republics.</p>
<p>Regardless that in the end the COG had suffered equally under the claws and teeth and bullets of their lab-made monsters, Paduk knew his seething resentment could never fade.</p>
<p>He’d felt on his own back, the kind of depravity the COG could fall down to, more than once.</p>
<p>He’d killed in turn and he had never regretted it, for he knew they’d do much worse onto him if they had the chance.</p>
<p>But the world was damned by them, by the deeds of those long gone and even Baird with all his genius and philanthropy seemed unable to put an end to that damnation.</p>
<p>A loud, sharp sound echoed through the tunnel, reflecting between the stone until it was outright painful; making him grip his head, pressing his palms against his ears.</p>
<p>Next to him, Baird did the same, falling down to one knee with a barely audible curse, his lancer clattering to the ground.</p>
<p>“What the fuck—agh…” Baird doubled down when the noise sounded again, and it seemed almost artificial; like a paced alarm, a deafening proximity sensor.</p>
<p>Only Jack had remained undisturbed, and was looking around, seeming alert: his expression more serious than what Paduk was used to seeing on him.</p>
<p>“Your rifle, please.” He said, grasping on the strap of the Markza.</p>
<p>Paduk let him take the weapon, feeling slickness against his fingers. Looking at it, he saw blood.</p>
<p>Pressing his palm against his bleeding ear again, he waited, watching Jack take point.</p>
<p>A shot echoed through the dark, and the sound stopped abruptly.</p>
<p>“It was… some sort of a large bird.” Jack turned to them, a frown between his brows. “But the call of it, its loud enough to damage human hearing.”</p>
<p>“Evidently.” Baird put his hands down with a pained groan. “One of my ears feels full of cotton.”</p>
<p>“Did you hit the damn thing at least?” Paduk took his rifle back, slinging it over his shoulder with unsteady hand.</p>
<p>Deciding it was best to sit down for a moment, he joined Baird who was still on the floor.</p>
<p>“No, it flew away to somewhere.” Seemingly noting the glare Paduk threw his way, Jack continued. “It was out of range.”</p>
<p>“But what is a fucking bird doing here of all places.” Baird sighed, leaning against Paduk’s shoulder. “Fuck… unless...”</p>
<p>“The Kryll.” Jack added. “Or a variation of them.”</p>
<p>“I thought those were eradicated.” Paduk lifted his brows.</p>
<p>“Marcus reported seeing something like them nesting in a shadowy area near a mountain village he went to.” Baird groaned lightly, patting at his ear. “With how everything seems to be going, might be that they’re making a resurgence too.”</p>
<p>“Or a variation of them.” Jack said. “They were a native Hollow species before, but there hadn’t been confirmed sightings since the Lightmass offensive.”</p>
<p>“Can you just shoot the next one we come across.” Paduk got up with some effort, his ears still ringing. “Before we go deaf, maybe.”</p>
<p>“I’ll do my best.” Jack nodded, and helped Baird get up as well. “But we have to be careful about disturbing the structural integrity of the tunnels.”</p>
<p>“They can take a bit more disturbing, unlike me.” Baird looked at the darkness with a deep frown. “You think there’ll be more of them up ahead?”</p>
<p>“Let’s hope not.” Paduk said, knowing the trek would turn out to be a lot more challenging if they did encounter this creature again.</p>
<p>The next hour was uneventful, in terms of birds or mushrooms; so when the tunnel opened up to the next cavern, it was a surprise for them all.</p>
<p>More glowing vegetation filled the place, seemingly thriving on the small pond of clear water in the center.</p>
<p>“I’d advise against falling in this.” Jack noted as they passed by the azure waters. “Aside from the water being dangerously alkaline, it’s way deeper than it looks.”</p>
<p>“Peachy.” Baird hurried away from the pond, his boots squishing over the slimy, glowing mold or whatever it was that covered the ground.</p>
<p>It wasn’t thick enough to go past the soles, but as they walked over it, they left bright footprints on the rocky floor.</p>
<p>“Is this one toxic?” Paduk jabbed at Jack slightly, as they strode side by side now, and was surprised to see the bot crack a smile.</p>
<p>“It is not.” He replied, and glanced at Paduk. “Would still not recommend eating it.”</p>
<p>“Do you think that’s all we people do with things, eat them?” He huffed back.</p>
<p>“From the majority of my experience, yes.” Jack seemed thoughtful for a second. “On occasion, you smoke them.”</p>
<p>That made a choked up laugh come from Baird who was behind them, and Paduk just shook his head.</p>
<p>“He’s not wrong though.” Baird added with amusement. “If I recall correctly, there was definitely a desert plant we smoked at one point when I visited you in Vasgar.”</p>
<p>“You said you wanted to try the Mescaline, and I quote, for science.” Paduk wasn’t gonna lie, it had been new to him too. But the Vasgari tribes had their celebrations, and some traditions had kept since times before the big wars.</p>
<p>In the right mindset, and time, and place, there was a lot one could get from the herbs infused with that cactus’ essence.</p>
<p>It was meant to heal, in a way. Wounds that weren’t just physical.</p>
<p>“Ah, good times still.” Baird sighed wistfully. “We ought to do that again someday.”</p>
<p>“When the war is over, and you build me a proper power station back in Vasgar.” Paduk said with a shrug.</p>
<p>“I’ll do that.” Baird sounded a lot more serious than in the past moment. “I always thought, with a good conservatory that place can prosper again.”</p>
<p>“It could.” He added simply.</p>
<p>“You’ll see it one day. I’ll make it happen.” Baird’s voice was lower now, and Paduk turned to look at him over his shoulder.</p>
<p>“I would like to see it.” He said and looked away, focusing on the path ahead again.</p>
<p>He hadn’t meant to get all soft about it. But there had always been something in Baird that hit a nerve within him. He couldn’t remain indifferent around him for too long.</p>
<p>“Look at this.” Jack pointed to the wall of the tunnel, the flashlight illuminating the large letters painted over the rock.</p>
<p>The writing seemed like a dialect of Tyran, and the paint had streaked down, seemingly done in a hurry. But it was still legible, and Paduk read it aloud without thinking.</p>
<p>“Siren’s bay and the route to surface shaft Ten.”</p>
<p>“Siren’s bay?” Baird repeated with a frown. “Nothing on the map was named, but who knows. Shaft ten should be the one we’re headed to.”</p>
<p>“According to the map data, that is correct.” Jack added.</p>
<p>“We keep going then.” Paduk shrugged, though there was something about the sign that didn’t sit well with him.</p>
<p>Maybe it was just seeing letters that were no longer in use, something which drove the point as to how old the place they were in truly was.</p>
<p>He wasn’t one to get claustrophobic, but it was as if the weight of all the ground above them and the time this mine had been forgotten for was pressing all around him, filling the air with a sense of premonition.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I got my gun at the ready gonna fire at will<br/>'cause I shoot to thrill and I'm ready to kill<br/>I can't get enough and I can't get my fill</p>
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    <hr/><p> </p><p>“You sure it’s a good idea to set camp here?” Paduk’s voice was weighted by doubt, his arms crossed as he looked out into the cave, or at least the part of it visible under their flashlights.</p><p>“Look, Jack said the eggs are fossilized. Plus I’d rather have some elbow room in case we do find something hostile, which can’t be said for that tunnel.” Sitting down on a rock formation smoothened by years of mineralized water dripping over it, Baird set his backpack and weapon beside it.</p><p>They’d been walking for hours and his head was pounding, an incessant pain that had begun sometime after they’d encountered the mysterious shrieking bird. The large cave they were in was the first change in the otherwise monotone tunnel, and perhaps what the miners’ sign had labeled as Siren’s Bay.</p><p>“Well forgive me for having common sense.” Huffing, Paduk sat down on the ground before stretching his arms from side to side. “For all we know, this could be the nesting ground for those Kryll-like birds.”</p><p>“There are bird droppings around.” Jack added, looking around the area. “But no signs of actual nests, or birds. Don’t worry, if they decide to approach, my scan will sense them early on.”</p><p>“Reassuring.” Paduk sounded sarcastic, but didn’t comment further.</p><p>Admittedly, Baird had felt a bit unnerved at the sight of the egg-filled cave. Thousands upon thousands of oblong shapes littered the floor in mounds, almost like strange rocks considering their color and texture. They formed a sort of barrier reef, since the cave ended with a large lake full of murky water.</p><p>But he trusted Jack’s assessment, and decided that as long as they didn’t mess with them, the fossils were unlikely to cause them any problems.</p><p>“Let’s just get some shuteye, and in a few more hours we can continue. Should be getting close to the surface shaft by now, right Jack?” He asked as he rummaged about in the backpack for some rations, before handing one to Paduk and taking the other for himself.</p><p>“Affirmative.” Jack leaned on one wall, crossing his arms. “I’ll keep watch, you two rest up.”</p><p>“You really don’t need anything to… recharge?” Paduk asked as he opened his ration pack.</p><p>“I sometimes have to run a diagnostic scan, but it’s not necessary to do while I’m out in the field.” Jack shrugged lightly as he explained. “My Osmium core is my power generator.”</p><p>“You can trust him about this.” Baird added, knowing Paduk was as ever, suspicious of his technology. He hadn’t been a fan of the DB’s in general, and even less so since the Swarm had found a way to corrupt them.</p><p>But Jack was different. Paduk had been there, with Baird and the rest of Kilo when they first got him from the lab in Halvo Bay, all those years ago. Even if he was in another image now, he was still the same bot that had helped them so many times.</p><p>“As you say…” Paduk cast one last look at Jack, before returning to his food.</p><p>Digging into his own ration absentmindedly, Baird thought about the moment they would get back to the surface. Whatever could dwell underground didn’t worry him as much as the radio silence from the geologist base.</p><p>He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about what they could find once they reached it, and with the delay after their crash, his fear only grew more prominent.</p><p>It had been risky, all of those missions were, getting people out in the open again… But they needed all the Osmium they could find, if he were to end the Swarm once and for all.</p><p>He trusted Marcus and the kids to make it out no matter what, but with the rate Swarm had kept multiplying, there were simply too many enemies roaming the surface.</p><p>Casting one last glance at the dark waters nearby, he reminded himself there was nothing more to do than take things one step at a time, and try to hope for the best.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>***</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Do you hear that?” Del slowed down, then stopped when he raised a hand, signaling for the rest of their people to pause as well.</p><p>Leaning his head to the side slightly, Marcus strained to catch what Del had noticed first.</p><p>For a long moment, the echo of their footsteps still rang in his ears, but then he heard it too.</p><p>A low sound, akin to falling sand, or shuffling of something <em>very</em> big over a rocky floor.</p><p>He shared a look with Del, and both of them lifted their lancers to their shoulders, scanning the darkness ahead.</p><p>A slight commotion was heard from behind, signaling to him that James and Hendrik, who guarded the rear had done the same.</p><p>“Uh, Dad? This isn’t good.” James’ voice came through the low-range radio frequency, and his tone made it clear that it wasn’t wind that was making the strange sound. “We need you over here.”</p><p>“Del, you stay and keep watch up front.” Seeing that Del was about to add something, Marcus shook his head quickly, hoping he’d remain put. Now wasn’t the time to question orders, and thankfully he seemed to realize that.</p><p>Running towards the back, he was glad to see that the few people from the team who knew which end of the gun meant business had spread out in formation behind James and Hendrik, protecting the ‘core’ – the injured and those who didn’t know how to fight.</p><p>Still, they had no cover, natural or otherwise. The worm had made a tunnel void of any bumps and protrusions, which wasn’t good for a close-quarters fight.</p><p>“There’s a lot of heat signatures, and they’re approaching fast.” Fahz spoke as he passed by him, his rifle against his shoulder – the night vision optics had given him a better glimpse at the dark section of the tunnel which they had left behind before.</p><p>“How big?” He asked with a low voice, tightening his grip on the lancer.</p><p>“There are Snatchers for sure, I can’t quite make out the rest.” Fahz shook his head, his expression solemn.</p><p>“We could try the explosives?” Hendrik added. “Low-yield, should be enough to block the tunnel.”</p><p>“How fast can you set them out?” He didn’t like the idea of blowing up anything so close to where they were, but he had to trust the geologist’s judgment, and ability to focus the blast.</p><p>“I need five minutes to connect the detonators and place the charges properly.” Hendrik was lighting up the sides of the tunnel with the flashlight mounted on his lancer, seemingly already picking up the best spots. “And then we run, as far as we can. We have a thirty second fuse only, the rest was not in the main building.”</p><p>“Okay, go. And have someone watching your back as you do, we need you.” Marcus nodded at him and shared a look with James, who had remained quiet. “Prepare to lay down covering fire, but try to aim as best as you can. We can’t let them breach our defense line.”</p><p>“Wilco, you heard him everyone.” James said quickly, glancing at the people behind them. Then he stepped next to Fahz, and handed him a couple of spare Mk. 2 Longshot clips. “Can you handle this?”</p><p>“I’m a little hurt, not blind. So I’ll be good.” Fahz added as he grabbed the clips and took a knee, then laid down on the floor, before checking the terrain through the rifle optics. “Bollocks, get me a bag or something, I need a higher leverage here.”</p><p>A woman from the team came over with a large duffel bag, which seemed to do the trick once Fahz tried it, placing the gun and most of his chest over the light green fabric.</p><p>Marcus took a position to the left wall, and James mirrored him, taking up the right, while Fahz remained in the middle.</p><p>This opened a firing field for the team behind them, and made it less likely to suffer friendly fire.</p><p>“They’re coming closer.” Fahz muttered, adjusting his rifle. “Two-thousand meters.”</p><p>“Alright people, hold your fire until Fahz gives you a sign. He’ll shoot first, since the Longshot has the greatest range.” Marcus waited until he heard that everyone had understood him. “Hendrik, how much longer?”</p><p>“We’re getting there, you can’t rush this.” The voice of the geologist sounded half-muted behind them, but Marcus didn’t look to check why. His eyes remained focused forward, straining to distinguish anything in the dark.</p><p>“You’ll have a minute or two at most once the shooting starts.” He said calmly, and double-checked that his Lancer’s safety was off. Reminding himself to breathe in and out, he scanned the area, left to right and back, knowing when the Swarm attacked it was lightning fast. “Del, get everyone else as far back as possible.”</p><p>“You got it.” Del’s voice clipped slightly with radio static, but Marcus knew he’d handle things.</p><p>The Swarm also had the benefit of being able to see in the dark, which probably meant that the team shone like a spotlight to them. But Marcus wasn’t about to cut the lights either, since seeing the enemy was rather important for shooting it. At least for everyone younger than him.</p><p>However, the element of surprise was still going to be on their side.</p><p>Fahz could pick targets out from a distance of 1,500 meters – the maximum range of the Mk. 2 Longshot. And the night-vision optics gave him an edge the rest of them didn’t have. Marcus had never mentioned it to him personally, but fighting side by side, he could easily say that Fahz was one of the best marksmen he’d known, for all his years spent on the battlefield.</p><p>Not only factoring his score at the academy, but the one which really mattered: out on the field, in difficult circumstances and hostile terrain, he was still able to land perfect hits, mowing down his enemies with the determination of a madman.</p><p>No one had kept count, but his takedowns were easily in the hundreds during the month-long siege of New Ephyra.</p><p>And right on cue, the first deafening shot echoed around them like the drop of a hammer.</p><p>After the hours of relative silence of the cave, it was nearly painful to hear in the enclosed space, but Marcus tuned out the slight ache it brought to his ears. He was well used to the battle din, and as the next quick shots followed in nearly paced manner, he felt his heartbeat rise even higher and his mind become engulfed in the hyper-focused calm of adrenaline rush.</p><p>He could definitely hear the Swarm now, shrieks and groans filling the cave, as well as the sound of running feet, the screech of claws against rock harder than diamonds. The slight vibration coming through the rocky floor, carried in the air.</p><p>“One minute.” Hendrik’s voice sounded closer, but still barely rose above the increasing noise.</p><p>Thankfully, people kept their discipline so no stray shots had been fired yet either.</p><p>“Go go go!” Fahz shouted as he ejected the empty magazine of his rifle and quickly slammed a new one in, before resuming his shots.</p><p>Not hesitating, Marcus pointed his sights out at the first shape that reflected in the light, a blurry redness – a Snatcher. Going full-auto, he kept the Lancer steady as he emptied a whole clip into the beast, aiming at the maw, the glimpse of its vulnerable underbelly, the legs – he wasn’t hoping to kill it, just slow it down. Resounding bursts of gunfire came through from behind him, and he saw the large creature tumbling down, crushing what seemed to be a few Juvvies that had ran alongside it.</p><p>The drones, which were generally slower, avoided the crashing beast, though he saw the heads of the first few disappearing into bloody mist – quite literally, as Fahz had apparently switched to explosive rounds.</p><p>He could make out the steady pattern of James’ shots amidst the cacophony, knowing the rhythm well – it was the traditional Gear training of three-round bursts meeting the experience he’d grown to have. It meant every larger pause between the quick shots was a downed or killed enemy.</p><p>Trusting him to handle their right flank, Marcus focused on his own fire, knowing that now they were sitting ducks for the drones that came next, since they’d likely noticed the direction the bullets came from, and would try to pick them out without hesitation.</p><p>Coming down to a crouch, Marcus reloaded quickly, then took down a drone with a spray of bullets that had begun mid-knee and ended up with a headshot.</p><p>Fahz took on the one which had come after, their motions almost chorographical – Marcus already had his sights on the next in line, the barrel of his Lancer turning red with heat as he kept firing.</p><p>The line of fire behind him grew more sporadic, testament to people who didn’t know the importance of counting their bullets. But it’s not like it mattered right now. They needed to go hard, not last long.</p><p>“Above you!” A man shouted behind and Marcus leaned back just in time, noticing the shape that bounced from the wall. Lifting up his Lancer was a reaction integrated in him bone-deep, as well as the moment he pulled hard on the lever that started up the chainsaw.</p><p>The Juvvie fell onto the roaring weapon with a distorted screech, blood and bone splattering all around in a grotesque arc, the stench of the creature coming through despite the acrid gunpowder fumes that had already filled the cave.</p><p>“We’re good to go, come on!”</p><p>He saw Hendrik out of the corner of his eye, who began shooting ahead, covering the people who retreated.</p><p>“James, let’s go!” He used the radio, just in case, then focused his fire ahead, mirroring Hendrik’s position.</p><p>“I need to help Fahz up, just a moment!” James’ voice was breathless, but thankfully didn’t seem hurt. “We’re clear!”</p><p>“The detonator?” He asked, noticing that Hendrik had paused to reload.</p><p>“It’s with Freeman, so we’re the last here.” The click of the clip falling in place told Marcus that Hendrik definitely knew his way around guns likely as well as he did around rocks.</p><p>So he motioned with an arm for him to fall back, and began walking as well, not turning away from the firefight.</p><p>Another large shape appeared, so he went full-automatic again, and shot the last of his bullets into the direction of the Snatcher’s dimly glowing belly.  </p><p>Round spots danced in his vision, reflections of the bursts of fire, so finally he turned and ran after Hendrik.</p><p>Either Freeman had lit the detonator too early, or he’d lost track of a few seconds, because when the charges blew, he felt the blast wave picking him up, and the hard collision against the wall that had his head ringing.</p><p>The Lancer was nearly torn away from his grip as well, and all he could hear was the muted roar of collapsing rock, the vibration of it seeming louder than the sound after the earlier explosion.</p><p>Still, he was quite certain he heard more gunfire, before someone’s strong hand gripped his arm, pulling him up.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>***</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Shit!” Baird sat up sharply, Lancer ready in his arms before he’d even focused, blinking as the darkness that had been behind his eyelids didn’t recede. His heart was pounding hard in his chest, and he could hear the rumbling echo of the sound that had woken him up.</p><p>“It seemed like an explosion.” Next to him, a rustle of fabric told him that Paduk had sat up as well, though they remained shrouded in darkness, until a bouncing light appeared from the tunnel leading to the large cave area with the eggs they were in.</p><p>“I heard distant gunfire about two minutes ago.” Jack said as he approached them, Paduk’s Markza in his arms. “It came from relatively far, but it was unmistakable. Then an explosion, which I believe caused the collapse just now.”</p><p>“You think—“ Paduk didn’t finish, his eyes finding Baird’s own, the light reflecting into them giving him an almost predatory look. The expression on his face was one Baird had seen many times, in fact had become nearly intimately familiar with during the times of war in the past and now – it was the last thing many of his enemies had ever seen.</p><p>It told them, a battle was coming, and they weren’t about the be the ones left standing.</p><p>“The Swarm.” Gripping the Lancer harder, Baird took a deep breath, all his senses on high alert despite that he’d just been thrown off a state of deep sleep. “But an explosion… It doesn’t fit.”</p><p>“You know they smartened up. Who’s to say they’re not doing something more complex underground again?” Paduk got up, and bunched up the fabric of the blanket before shoving it into the duffel bag. “Give me this.”</p><p>He took his rifle back from Jack, leaving him weaponless.</p><p>“Uh, Jack, best take my pistol.” Baird took off the holster which had his boltok, and gave it to him. Jack might have had stealth capabilities, as well as the ability to electrocute anything that came close when he was in fight-mode, but the Raven crash had left them all on a bit of slim pickings when it came to weaponry.</p><p>He also had a long knife stashed on the back of his belt, much like the two of them, but Baird felt more comfortable knowing that Jack had something that packed more of a punch.</p><p>“I’ll scout ahead, see what we’re really up against.” Jack said as he secured the holster on his thigh. “You best lay low for the moment.”</p><p>“If there’s too many of them…” Baird didn’t think they had other options though. Barely any bullets as well.</p><p>“Eh, we’ve been up against worst odds.” Paduk said as he examined his Markza, taking out the clip and the bullet in the chamber, before pointing it down and doing a dry shot, seemingly satisfied with the weapon’s response. Then he returned the bullet in the clip and put it back on the rifle, glancing at Baird with a slight smirk.</p><p>“That’s not exactly comforting, but I’ll take it.” Baird huffed when he saw Paduk lift a brow with a slight shrug, seemingly saying he hadn’t meant it to be.</p><p>Still, Baird realized he was determined not to die today. Yeah, surely many others had been in similar position and that kind of thinking hadn’t helped them. But he had too much to lose. Family to protect.</p><p>He was not going to fail now, no matter what they came up against.</p><p>So with a wordless plea to whatever god of war might have been watching over them for all those years, he took his stance next to the cave’s entrance, the Lancer’s muzzle pointing down by his hip.</p><p>And with Paduk at his side, he was ready to face anything.</p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Been atypically long without a firefight for a Gears-related anything hahahah. Hope you liked this chapter :p </p><p>The two paths of the journey seem to be about to converge... but what comes next? </p><p>Stay tuned to find out!</p>
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